Young Justice Beyond
by NoSignalBlueScreen
Summary: Danny Fenton is dead. Or at least, that's what the public thinks and not many make the connection that Phantom has been missing for about the same length of time. After being pulled from the debris at Cadmus, avoiding a terrible fate, Danny meets a group of people that will change his half-life forever. Not a TUE story. Alive!Family/Friends. Mostly follows YJ plot, S1, S2, n more.
1. No White Suits

**TL;DR**

 **Cheat sheet / Update schedule: I'm going to update this every week until my eight chapter buffer ends. While I have that buffer, I'm going to be working on writing a Master Challenge chapter, then a Phandom Phable, then a chapter for Pondus Omnium. Always look at my profile for update plans n such.**

 **Please refrain from asking about chapters for any of my stories in reviews. You can PM me if your curious about how far along I am, but be kind. Stressing me out won't help. I will delete Guest reviews that ask about updates just so that my review count doesn't climb from them, seems unfair, nothing against the reviewer.**

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 **ABOUT ME HAVING A THIRD STORY UP:**

 **Well, I thought I could avoid this, that I had greater self-control. But I can't. I have just way too many story ideas I want to write out. So I'm going to have to break my one to two stories at the same time rule. I just kinda came to the realization that I want to at least write as many of my stories as I can before they become irrelevant or end up rotting in my files. I wanted to wait until after I was done with Pondus Omnium and Master Challenge, but I want to write this. I need to know if I'm going in a good direction with this or not. I've honestly rewritten the start of this crossover six or seven different ways over the last year or so. Think in the vein of TheWhiteTitan in regards to multiple stories, although I don't think I'll ever publish as many stories simultaneously like they have.**

 **Short version : I'm going to be publishing three stories at the same time (Master Challenge, Pondus Omnium, Young Justice Beyond). I have eight chapters of this done. I will be uploading them once a week until I run out. In the meantime, I'm going to be trying to write the next chapter of Master Challenge. I will be continuing my other stories. I fully intend to finish them (I have the endings and everything planned out and written in some cases). Always look at my profile for update plans n such.**

 **Alright, onwards to the AN for the story.(This will probably be the longest you'll see in this story, I shouldn't need to do it again)**

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE FOR YJB:**

 **Well hello there everyone. Some of you have been waiting forever for this. Your reward has finally come.**

 **This is just an AN here to explain a few things before the story begins. Just in case you wanted some background info before committing to reading.**

 **Danny will be sixteen during the events of the first season.**

 **Danny gains his powers in January of 2008. I tend to make Danny's birthday be in January too, so he turns fourteen about the same time, roughly. October of that year is when the episode Fright Night happens. Lucky in Love happens the March after that in 2009. He turns fifteen by that point. Then the Fright Before Christmas is that December. April of 2010 is when Danielle is made and Kindred Spirits happens. May is when Double Cross my Heart occurs.**

 **Some of Danny's final episodes will be AU, starting with Reality Trip. Some episodes might not happen or be severely AU as well (be turned into longer story lines), so be aware of that.**

 **The story will mostly follow the Young Justice Plot-line (cartoon and maybe a little sprinkling of the spin-off comics), though there will be original content along the way as well (AU Danny episodes as well as other things that you'll see eventually). This story will contain Season 1 and 2 of YJ along with extra parts and an original 3rd Season.**

 **I'm also newish to the DC world outside of Young Justice and some other animated media, so have patience with me. I've been trying to practice these characters, but we'll see.**

 **This Young Justice will be a bit AU as well because I will be altering a few things and of course adding things. This includes a larger recruiting rate for the League eventually (think Justice League Unlimited) and more for the Team as well. (I'll be careful about going too over board though)**

 **I kind already have a set plan for who will be joining after the first season, but if there's someone you'd like to see (no OCs please) then tell me and I'll consider it.**

 **Also this story is slightly Danny-centric but I'm going to try to have some focus on other characters as well, because they need love too.**

 **Cannon pairings are in here and extra ones are already mostly decided. If you're dying to know what they are, PM me or review (I guess in the case of guests).**

 **I think that's it…**

 **Anywho, I hope you enjoy my attempt at this!**

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 _"C'mon, guys. You didn't think it was always going to be as easy as shoving the Box Ghost into the Fenton Thermos, did you? I'll be back." ~ Danny Fenton; Reign Storm._

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 **Indianapolis. May 10, 2010. 18:36 CDT.**

The TV had a news report on. It showed Icon and Rocket, two of the newer vigilantes to arise, talking to the reporter on site of a resolved robbery. White foggy steam rose from a cup of foamy coffee, and the light from outside of the apartment streamed through the divided window and lit up the white suit that was laying on a nearby dresser.

A brown hand reached out, with the remote. The channel was changed and displayed a different news report. _"We haven't received much information, but we're expecting a press conference date to be announced soon. This is after the attack at the Amity Park Observatory, that resulted in the near death of five people and injury of two. It was supposedly perpetrated by two government agents that were trying to hunt a purportedly powerful ghost, level seven in caliber-"_

The man who sat in a worn chair watching the broadcast, growled and clutched the remote. In one swift movement, he turned the TV off and chucked the remote at the screen. He saw it strike the screen and then clatter against the ground and grumbled.

 _Knock. Knock._

The owner of the small apartment glanced over at the entranceway, wondering who could possibly be visiting. The man stood and stalked towards the door and opened it.

"Hello, Agent Alpha."

Alpha felt his brows raise in surprise when he was presented with none other than the famous businessman Lex Luthor and his assistant. "Lex Luthor?"

"Ah, yes. That would be me." Luthor replied calmly and put one of his hands in a pants pocket. An easy smile came to the man's face that betrayed a kind of confidence that belonged to a king, secure and knowing of how far his name could get him.

He was utterly baffled as to why the businessman would visit him. Alpha frowned. "Why are you here?"

Luthor nodded towards the inside of the apartment. Alpha stood for a moment as though he was suspicious of how Luthor knew how to find him. Ultimately he seemed to make his choice and turned slightly to let the man inside. He watched Luthor's female assistant follow, before shutting the door and coming to sit down with them both.

"I suppose I'll start by asking how things have been since you were shut down by the government?" Luthor asked aloofly. He crossed his leg over the other and let three of the knuckles from one of his hands support his chin and jaw.

Alpha narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "How did you-" It was a stupid question really, but he was insulted by the subtle play to throw salt on an obviously open wound.

"I'd imagine it's fairly easy to figure out that there would be a lot of people let go in the department, no? You were the head of the division and as such you are responsible for the actions of your men, no matter how foolish, unfortunately." Luthor interrupted and lifted one brow. Alpha leaned back in submission.

"What does a businessman like you want with someone like me?" Alpha asked plainly, ready to stop playing games to get to the bigger picture. Luthor smiled at the man's body-language thus far; he'd made yet another good choice.

"I feel as though the government is making a big mistake. Ghosts, as we've seen in the last year or so, are very dangerous. There needs to be people like you there to capture and take care of them…" Luthor trailed off before his face darkened due to a shift in his expression. "By whatever means, necessary."

Alpha didn't notice, but Mercy was preparing her gun. "Are you wanting to hire a _private_ group to hunt ghosts?"

Luthor hummed, his more friendly demeanor returning like it hadn't left. "Something like that."

"How do you expect to get ahold of the technology we'd need to hunt them?" Alpha questioned.

Luthor smirked. "I'm sure you and I can come up with something for the time being. Wouldn't you agree? You've got to have a few things hidden away, possibly some contacts..." He gestured towards Alpha as his finished and waited for the man's response.

Alpha grew quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "Why do you even want a private ghost hunting team?"

Luthor stood up from his seat and stared down at the ex-agent, which was something most people couldn't manage when Alpha was standing, seeing as he was a large man. "You believe ghosts are a danger to humans, correct?"

"Yes, of course. They're more powerful than us, faster than us, can do things no mortal can, and they can sway hearts much too easily. They're deceptive and vile creatures."

"I offer you this. I'll fund your people. I know a good deal of your group was fired or arrested and a very few remain with the government, but whoever you can still gather together will do."

Alpha sat in thought for a moment. "You'd fund us, just like that?"

"You'd be surprised at what I'm willing to do for the good of the people, Alpha." The smile on Luthor's face looked benevolent by all outward appearances and just like that a spark of understanding seemed to register in Alpha's mind.

The former agent stood up, towering over Luthor as he gave his answer. "Very well. I'll join up with your private group. You're right, the government has made a poor mistake." He reached out a hand to meet Luthor's and they shook on it. Alpha had a feeling that this was the opportunity he needed to make the word a better place.

"Excellent. I'm very happy you'll be joining us." Luthor then broke off the hand-shake before walking towards the door. Mercy followed obediently behind him after returning her weapon to the standby position, secretly. "We'll contact you when we're ready let you see where you will be working."

"Yes sir. Do you have any requirements or suggestions about how we should operate? I just wanted to be sure I knew what you were hoping for."

Luthor paused and smiled at the door. He then turned his head slightly and looked over his shoulder. "There will be a bit more subtly this time around if you don't mind. I have some people that can help show you what I'll be expecting of you."

"Understood."

 **Outskirts of Amity Park. May 16, 2010. 20:55 CDT.**

Danny Phantom, the white-haired green-eyed self-proclaimed protector of Amity Park, Indiana, sighed as he leaned up and looked around. After not seeing the beast nearby, he glanced down at himself. Stretching from his shoulder to his upper chest were three long claw marks. He hissed in pain as he watched some ectoplasm well up there; he also took note of the frayed edges of his torn hazmat suit. "Dumb giant blue lion. Why can't he just hold still?"

Carefully, Danny floated up into the air and looked around, trying to figure out where the ghostly animal had run off too so they could start round two. It wasn't a super dangerous ghost, but some of the people in Amity Park had been worried that it would try and eat their pets or something, so Danny had gone out to take care of it. "Maybe having Sam and Tucker here wouldn't have been a bad idea." There was an end of the school-year exam tomorrow and Danny had insisted that his friends didn't come with him for patrol this time. He had studied a passable amount and had figured he would head home after catching the lion. At least that way his parents would think he made it home for curfew and he could pop back out, in the event more ghosts decided to show up.

Danny glanced down at his shoulder again and smiled when he noticed the cuts had already healed up and it was as though he'd never gotten hurt. "Thank you, healing factor." He focused a bit more and his hazmat suit slowly knitted itself back together. The half-ghost then continued his search of the forest-line for the blue lion. In the middle of slowly rotating in the air and using his night-vision to look into the darkness for his target, he froze at the sight of something that definitely didn't belong here.

A brief flicker of scope flare caught his eye a heartbeat before something struck him in the chest, causing a hollow thump to resonate through his body cavity. Slowly, he felt himself loosing power and before he knew it, he slammed into the earth, kicking up dirt and chunks of grass. Danny groaned, spat out some grass, and tried to pull himself up with one arm to look down at his torso. There he found a small circle-shaped device stuck firmly to his chest like a magnet, marring his DP emblem.

"It's a spectral energy neutralizer. While in contact with a ghost, it completely disables their ability to access their core. Not that I expect you to understand all of that."

Danny glared upwards, only to get the shock of his after-life. "Agent- Agent Alpha? I-is that you?" He'd only seen a glimpse of the man once several days ago, but he had heard what Agent O and K had called him.

Said man was standing above the downed ghost. He had on goggles that were similar in shape to his old sun-glasses and instead of a blindingly white suit, he wore a black one with small green accents along the lapels and pockets. Even his undershirt was black and had a green tie resting on top of it. "Why yes, it is."

"But I heard the Guys in White were disbanded after they nearly murdered those people at the observatory," Danny rasped out. He knew that he couldn't access his human half if his connection to his core was disrupted, so he took the time to look at the rest of his aggressors. He saw four men behind Alpha that were wearing similar attire, with ecto-guns in their holsters. They wore strange half-helmets with green visors and one of them was holding a larger weapon, most likely the one that Danny had seen before getting shot. His thoughts were interrupted quite rudely by a swift and powerful kick to his face. Danny grunted in pain as the hit caused him to roll flat on his back. A boot started pressing into his chest and Danny briefly wondered if the man could brake his ribs while he was in ghost form.

Alpha leaned down and a dim light reflected across his googles. "Do I look like I'm wearing white, ghost?"

Danny felt his mouth go dry at Alpha's response. Two of the four men behind Agent Alpha marched forward with metal rings that looked like restraints of some kind. "Wait!" He flinched in pain, feeling a throbbing ache go through his jaw. Dread settled inside him when he realized his healing wasn't working with the neutralizer on.

"I don't think so, ghost boy. We're finally going to rid the world of your kind." Alpha pulled away his foot, only to then pull out a trigger of some kind and press it.

Danny cried out in agony as the neutralizer on his chest activated and started to electrocute him. Both the weakness and electrocution was reminding him too much of the box that Vlad and Skulker had used on him in the past.

"By the way, you will only address me as Omega from now on, scum."

Danny felt his world slowly fade around him, slipping away from him like sand beneath him. His last thought was about how worried his friends and family would be and the last sight he saw was the dancing of fireflies in the woods. Then he blacked out completely.

 **Unknown Location. May 20, 2010. 14:05 CDT.**

"He nearly looks human. It's pretty extraordinary when you think about it. An electrical complex of some sort that's controlled by a central energy node and forms something similar to a net to hold and mold ectoplasm into a specific form. Fascinating." Luthor stared up at the silent figure in the large tube they'd constructed around it.

"They're very deceptive creatures." Agent Alpha, or Omega, expressed simply.

"Yes. You say they can possess biological forms, machines, and theoretically other things as well?" Luthor asked, never taking his eyes off of the so called Phantom of Amity Park.

"Yes sir. We've constructed our own technology that simulates their powers of invisibility and intangibility, but-"

"It's not the same. Anything man-made would always leave behind molecular evidence or heat signatures, not to mention causing temporary blindness to the wearer if you managed to fully absorb all light. How does he do that, by the way? How can he see where he's going?" Luthor asked, seemingly to himself, and narrowed his eyes. Phantom had his eyes closed and was unresponsive behind the glass. His arms and legs were firmly secured to the top and bottom of the tube and a large metal muzzle covered his face from his nose down. Thin green lights pulsed through the circuitry of the restraints every few seconds.

Omega didn't seem to know Luthor was talking to himself and tried to answer. "We aren't sure how ghosts do it, but with more study, we can find out. We could start dissecting his body at this moment, in fact. My colleagues are prepared to-"

Luthor looked over sharply at Omega. "No. No invasive tests yet."

"Pardon?" Omega asked, impatience and irritation seeping into his voice.

"You heard me. I want to do some other tests. Could you imagine having copies of these things to keep order?" Luthor asked and turned away from Omega. "We wouldn't need to have people like the Justice League if we had the ability to manipulate these things."

"Hmph." Omega crossed his arms. "Agreed, but you do know that you can't copy a ghost, right? They have no DNA. And while there are mythological instances of ghosts being controlled by human masters, there's no modern science that could support such claims or make a device to do something remotely similar at this time."

"Then we'll just have to try to come up with something, hm? Until then, we'll send him to a safe place."

Omega frowned. "We're not going to experiment on him?"

"There's plenty of smaller and less powerful ghosts you can pick and prod at. We're freezing this one. If we don't freeze him now, there's no guarantee that our limited supply of ghost technology we've managed to scrape together will keep him in our hold. I'm going to be working on finding another more reliable supply of ghost technology. In the meantime, some of my other scientists will work with yours at another location to see if he can be copied without the use of DNA. Didn't you say they have an ecto-signature or something of the sort?"

"Well, yes, but it's more like a wavelength of vibration that their core resonates at. I'm not sure having a core vibrated at a specific speed would create a fully intact ghostly complex."

"I guess we'll just have to try, won't we?" Luthor replied as he started to walk away. Omega looked up at Phantom's form as the liquid within started to turn an icy blue. "Besides, he's not going to hurt anybody from now on. If you really want to destroy him later, I'll let you. Just have patience, my friend."

"As you wish, Luthor." Omega then marched after Luthor as ice started to coat the inside of the chamber and darken it. Scientists stood around watching as the process took place.

 **Madison, Wisconsin. May 20, 2010. 16:00 CDT.**

Vlad Masters paced past his hologram of Maddie for the fortieth time that afternoon. He was completely dumbfounded. Several days ago, Samantha, Tucker, and Jasmine had barged into his Madison home, guns poised, and had demanded to be told where Daniel was. This had lead to a long argument in which Vlad tried to tell them that he hadn't been near the little badger for quite some time, since the attempted cloning, that was. He was still pretty peeved about that one.

At first they hadn't believed him, which was understandable. He had then shown them through his castle and told them repeatedly that if he had captured Daniel, he would be here since his Colorado home was still receiving repairs from both Daniel and the clone's rampage there. Eventually they had come to believe he indeed did not have Daniel. Vlad was surprised to ultimately find out that the boy had been missing for four days.

After they had left, Vlad had called on Skulker and threatened the ghost within an inch of his afterlife to tell him if he knew where Daniel was. Afterwards, he'd become fairly confident that the hunter hadn't captured or killed the boy. Now it was a only matter of time before the kids would eventually have to tell Jack and Maddie the truth and that would possibly lead to his own secret being revealed. At the same time, he was fairly certain that even if they found out, the kids would have enough sense to warn the two parents of his power and how he could crush them both, even his precious Maddie, if they dared rat him out. They also didn't have physical proof nor their little ghostly protector if they did feel particularly brave, or stupid. Either way, he would soon be done creating his Plasmius bugs and would be able to both, be up to date on Daniel's case and know if the elder Fentons knew about his or Daniel's other halves.

So then he was back to square one. All he knew for certain, and only because of the kids, was that Daniel had gone missing after going on patrol. Valerie would've told him if she'd destroyed the ghost boy, Skulker would've told him, any other ghost would be gloating about it, even the Fentons themselves would be gloating about it if they hadn't figured out they'd murdered their own son. That only left a few opinions. He could've gotten lost or hurt somehow, which was unlikely. Perhaps some other human psycho had stumbled upon him and managed to dispatch him, though that was also unlikely. The boy might've run away, but there were too many things about that that went against Daniel's character. Besides, he most certainly would've come to his mansion if he had needed someplace else to go; that much was obvious in Vlad's mind. The only people he could think of that would actually be quiet about capturing the ghost boy, would be the Guys in White, but they were recently disbanded by the government after their foolish attack on a teenager at the Amity Park Observatory.

It was as if Daniel had simply disappeared. There had to be something he was missing…

 _Ring~ Ring~_

Vlad huffed and walked over to the nearby phone in his living room. "Masters residence." He was silent as he listened to the reply on the other end. "Ah, Lex, my friend. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He mentally arranged his pieces on the board once he knew who he was dealing with and waited to see what move the opponent would make.

As he listened, he grew more curious about what was being discussed. After all, he knew more about his friend and his business ventures than Luthor knew he did. This was curious, curious indeed; he settled in for a intriguing game.

 **Washington D.C. July 5, 2010. 1:44 EDT.**

"What sub-level is this again and why are we here? I thought we agreed that it was okay for Guardian to tell us if he found anything fishy in the other sub-levels?" Flash asked. The speedster sighed and rubbed his head a bit as he walked out of the elevator behind Batman and Martian Manhunter. He really needed to get something to eat soon; it had been a long day and night.

"Sub-level sixteen. Do you remember when I said I was suspicious of Cadmus? The reason is because of a shipment they received recently. The short version is that some of the information about it didn't add up. I asked Guardian if he knew what floor it was delivered to," Batman replied gruffly. He honestly had a head-ache too. The battle against Wotan hadn't been easy, then they'd discovered that their protégés had run off and that Cadmus was worse than he'd anticipated.

"Care to do a quick sweep, Flash?" Manhunter questioned softly.

Flash nodded. "You got it." He stuttered into a false start before looking over his shoulder. "Are you going to tell me what I need to look for?"

"I'm not positive. I suggest we just search the floor thoroughly," Batman answered. Flash zipped off and Manhunter got the man's attention.

"I do sense something… odd."

"Like what?"

"It's a large bundle of… I'm not sure how to best describe it to someone who's not an empath or telepath, but it's like a large collection of emotion with no human consciousness attached."

"Lead the way," Batman replied curtly, watching as his ally floated in front of him and took point. It seemed like several minutes before they came to the first door in the long hallway. Once the door was opened, using a key card from Guardian, they spied a large frozen chamber in the center. Carefully the two heroes walked forward. They felt a gust of wind and Flash's voice cut through the silence.

"Another clone or something?"

Batman hummed. "It's definitely something." He walked over to the monitor and typed in a few things. After a minute of work, he glanced up at the pod and narrowed his eyes. "Well that explains things. I've wondered what happened to you."

"Huh?" Flash asked and walked closer.

Batman looked over his shoulder at the two other Leaguers. "For some reason, they have the Phantom of Amity Park down here. He went missing about two months ago."

"The ghost, from that creepy ghost city?" Flash questioned.

"I recall that we had been watching him since he appeared. That was right after those two scientists managed to make a portal into another realm, correct?" Manhunter continued.

"Yes. He's a solo-act. According to the media, he was the one that freed Amity from being trapped in the Ghost Zone last year. He also stopped a ghost from taking over a satellite-"

"You mean the one that caused all that crazy stuff to happen earth-side?" Flash questioned, now growing a bit more serious about the situation.

"The same." Batman eyed the chamber again before he walked over and wiped some of the ice from the outside, giving the heroes a slightly better view of the being within.

Manhunter observed the ice-dusted boy and a hint of remorse filled the martian's being. "He doesn't look much older than Aqualad or Kid Flash. I wonder how long he's been… a ghost."

"Hard to say. Ghosts aren't always souls of the deceased. That's according to the current experts," Batman offered in response.

"So what do we do? While we're fairly sure he's a good guy, we can't be sure that he won't go nuts if we release him. We also can't just leave him here," Flash expressed.

Batman gestured to the door, which was behind them, with his head. "Go hide in the hallway. I have something on me that can to protect me from his abilities. I'll release him and see if he's hostile."

Flash and Manhunter exchanged a glance before they nodded to Batman and exited the room. Batman glanced down and pressed a button on his utility belt, before he started to type in the commands that would release the cryogenic hold the tube had on the ghost. Once the ice had thawed, he saw the large clamps and muzzle on the ghost and furrowed his brow. He supposed the muzzle was to prevent Phantom from using his powerful wail ability. Finally he released the final lock and Phantom's arms fell from the clamps. The ghost then fell to his knees, slumped over and still unresponsive. After a moment, Batman creeped forward and worked with a lock-pick to unlock the muzzle from the ghost's face. The muzzle clattered to the ground right before a bright white light startled the Dark Knight.

When the light faded, Batman was fairly surprised to see a black-haired boy in place of the ghost he'd just freed. "So, I wasn't coming up with false theories after all. I was starting to wonder." He leaned down and tried to touch the boy, only to see a shock of green go across his smaller body and make him seize slightly. "So my belt still hurts you in this form…" Batman reached back and flicked the button on his belt off before lifting the unconscious boy into his arms. "This explains why you vanished with Phantom."

He came out of the room and Flash showed his surprise, while Manhunter seemed stoic as ever. "Whoa, what?"

"We'll talk about it later."

"So wait, the Phantom of Amity Park is a kid? Like an actual living kid?" Flash asked and looked at the boy that couldn't be much older than his Wally.

"I had had some suspicions but they were never well supported ones. It wasn't until Daniel Fenton was reported missing that I really considered that it wasn't just a theory. If his parents hadn't been the ones to actually create the Ghost Portal, then I might have never guessed he wasn't as he appeared."

"What shall we do?" Manhunter asked.

Batman frowned. "I suppose we'll have to ask him when he wakes up."

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 **This should be the shortest chapter, seeing as it's kinda a prologue. The others should range between six to eight thousand words, roughly.**

 **Hope you enjoyed it.**


	2. The Only Choice

**Washington D.C. Hall of Justice. July 5, 2010. 16:33 EDT.**

The thing that woke him up was the killer head-ache. Danny clenched his fists and felt soft covers cradle his fingers. He wondered briefly if he'd slept past his alarm again and that's why it was so quiet and peaceful. Lancer would probably have his head for being so late, again. Slowly he reluctantly opened his eyes and was more than surprised to see he was not in his room, but a generic looking medical room with two wide glass windows on either side of the door.

His memories suddenly caught up with him and the half-ghost glanced at his body, wrists, and ankles in a panic, only to see that he hadn't been cut into or strapped down.

"How are you feeling?"

Danny's head snapped up and he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Batman, THE Batman, staring at him. Soon, Martian Manhunter and Zatar? Zataro? Zoro? He mentally snapped his fingers, Zatara, stood inside his room. He swallowed nervously. "Um… fine, I guess. I'm more than a little confused and…" He trailed off when he realized his hand was fleshy and not covered in a white glove. "My secret's been revealed…" He finished with a whisper.

"You were cryogenically frozen and reverted to your human form when we removed you from the containment cell," Batman started.

"I was… frozen?" Danny asked quietly.

"For what it's worth, it seems that because you were frozen for a period of time, the people that took you most likely didn't see your human form," Batman responded. He then continued. "Daniel James Fenton has been missing for roughly two months. We don't know who took you, but you ended up in D.C. We found you in a secret genetic weapons facility here."

"Two months…" Danny looked down, cradled his head, and ran his fingers through his hair once as the shock of hearing the truth sunk in. "They must all be worried sick…"

"You mean your family?" Zatara asked.

"Yeah and my friends. They must think something terrible happened to me." Danny swallowed as worry continued to fill him.

"Were they aware of your double life?" Batman questioned, watching the boy's face carefully.

Danny sighed. "Only my sister and two friends knew, but now I imagine they've told mom and dad the truth."

Batman continued to look at Danny through his cowl. "We can worry about that in a minute. Do you feel well? We weren't sure about your physiology."

"I also have to ask what you are, exactly," Zatara questioned. The magician had seen many interesting things that could nearly compare to this, but he was still intrigued by Danny's existence. "You're something of a living ghost, or do you have a ghost that uses you as a host?"

The was no real point in trying to hide much now. They'd seen his human face and had most likely figured out a good deal. It was best just to be honest. Danny finally relented to the idea of explaining, what had become his life, to someone. At least it was the Justice League of all people, they would understand, probably. He let out a breath of withheld air. "The other ghosts call me a Halfa. My kind don't exactly have a real species name. To be honest, Halfa is kinda a slur. I suppose half-ghost is the right term. I feel fine. I don't sense a fever or anything weird with my core," Danny explained and looked down at his chest placing a hand on it. They watched him grow quiet before he glanced up at them. "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

Manhunter shook his head and gave a smile, that eased Danny greatly. "No. You are safe here. Locations owned by the League are neutral and free from certain laws. I'm thinking that you are concerned about the Anti-Ecto Acts?"

Danny nodded. "I produce ectoplasm. That means I classify as a ghost more than I do a human. I'm not sure what it means now that the Guys in White were disbanded-"

"They were disbanded after they attacked the Amity Observatory, trying to hunt you, correct?" Batman asked.

"Yeah. They saw a kid with white hair and thought it was me. I just couldn't believe how often they didn't care about humans whenever they'd try to hunt ghosts. I mean, they used to say they wanted to do it for the safety of humankind," Danny huffed and folded his arms then let out a sigh. He gave them a guarded look and decided to see just how accepting they were of him. There had been a few times in the past that Danny had expected the League to swoop into Amity Park and beat the snot out of him, even if Sam and Jazz had told him he was letting his imagination get the better of him. That and adults were always a bit tricky in his experience. "Not all ghosts are evil, like they say. You know?"

"We're quite aware," Zatara replied with his own smile. "You'd be surprised what sort of supernatural things we've come across. Now that it's easier for more powerful spirits to crossover, the governments and people are nervous, but we've been familiar with similar things in the past."

Danny's smile returned to his face. He'd never really imagined that the League might have seen ghosts before or anything like that. He could only guess that they had at least been in contact with mostly shades or weaker ghosts prior to the Ghost Portals being built. Curiosity peaked in Danny's mind and he wondered what kind of experiences Zatara was referring to. Perhaps he could ask sometime.

"As for your previous misadventures," Batman interjected. "The media always has a way of twisting things and not everything is always as it seems. That's a given."

Danny had felt his heart stutter slightly when Batman had insinuated towards Danny's past run-ins with the law. He paused a bit at Batman's comment about the media. Maybe the detective knew the truth about those misunderstandings or at least knew they weren't his fault. If that was the case, it didn't seem like the Dark Knight was going to explain any further. "Thanks." After a brief awkward pause, Danny spoke to Batman again. "So now what?"

"We have a few options. Ultimately we'd like you to stay here for a few days while we arrange a meeting with you and your family," Batman explained.

Danny nodded in understanding. "I understand. Do you happen to know if anything has been said about Danny Phantom disappearing at the same time Fenton disappeared?" A worried look crossed the boy's face.

"No one has really connected the two. For all they know it's coincidence or they're not related. However, if they both came back at the same time, that could be trouble," Batman responded.

Danny frowned. "Yeah. I can't believe it's been two months…"

"You can go back as Fenton and we can come up with some type of cover-story, but you'd have to be careful about when to bring Phantom back into action." Batman paused and he watched Danny deflate.

"What's the catch?" The boy asked as though he dreaded the answer.

"We still don't know who master-minded this kidnapping of Phantom," Batman replied.

"It was the old leader of the Guys in White, Agent Alpha, though he called himself Omega. They had different weapons and uniforms. It was weird," Danny offered.

Batman glanced at Manhunter and Zatara. Manhunter was the one that asked the question they were all pondering over. "Curious. I wonder who provided them with the monetary support to continue their endeavors without their government funding."

Batman looked at Danny, who looked very confused. He turned fully to face the boy in the bed, so that Danny had his full attention. "The concern comes from this benefactor. There's the possibility that someone more dangerous is behind the scheme, so if both Fenton and Phantom return-"

"They might be more likely to figure out something's up. Not to mention they might just try to capture me again," Danny continued and glanced down at his hands. "Then everyone would be in danger…"

"Right," Batman replied, feeling his frown become deeper set at the sight of the boy's discomfort.

"We just want to do what's best for your family and you," Manhunter expressed calmly.

Danny nodded. "Yeah. I'll need a bit of time to think about things."

"We'll contact your family soon, in secret," Batman spoke up.

"Can you tell Sam Manson and Tucker Foley too? Jazz wouldn't be able to keep it a secret from them," Danny asked with a worried look on his face.

"We'll see what we can do-"

"Thanks. It would mean a lot to me. Sam and Tucker are my best friends. They were there when I died…" Danny trailed off with a cough. He saw the Leaguers exchange a brief look at each other before Batman nodded silently in acknowledgment.

"Get some rest. We'll talk more later," Batman offered.

Danny nodded and pulled the blankets higher up. "Yeah. I could definitely go for another nap. I haven't slept this good in a while." The boy's eyes slid shut as the heroes left the room.

 **Washington D.C. Hall of Justice. July 11, 2010. 8:04 EDT.**

The back room was a little boring, but it had a TV, some chairs, a mini-fridge, and even a fuse-ball table. Several Leaguers came to visit while they attempted to set up a date for Danny to see his family again. Batman was a common visitor, though he would often only come to ask about details regarding Danny's attackers, as well as anything they had possibly said when they'd jumped him. Black Canary had come at one time and Danny had become intrigued when he found out that she was a psychologist. He revealed to the heroine that his sister had often talked with him when he'd had bad days or experiences. While Danny wasn't exactly ready to talk with Canary about some of those private moments, she offered her help if he ever wanted it, which was appreciated. Flash had come by once and had pestered him a bit about whether or not he knew Casper or asking Danny about if there was a ghost hunting group called the Ghost Busters or not.

No matter what Danny decided to do about his entire situation in the end, he had promised to tell the League as much as he could about his enemies and acquaintances in the Ghost Zone and Human world. They had determined that they would worry about that exchange of information once Danny's future was decided.

Currently, he was just watching an infomercial on TV. Unfortunately he couldn't get the news for Amity Park since he was in D.C. It was bothering him that he didn't know how things had been there. The place was practically his version of a lair or haunt. At least, it had to be in one piece, seeing as the League was calm and wouldn't leave a city to chaos if it had arisen.

He muted the program when he heard the door open and Canary smiled at him. "Hey Danny. You okay today?"

Danny smirked. "I was fine yesterday and the day before that. Besides being a bit restless, I'm honestly fine."

Canary smirked in return at his smart attitude. "Well, I figured you would be getting restless. I brought some guests to visit you and some good news."

Danny perked up and tried to look behind her. "Yeah? Is my family here?" He noticed some fairly iconic suits and felt himself start to smile. "No way."

"Not yet. I brought some of the younger heroes to visit with you. They were-" She paused and gave the teen heroes behind her a quick amused stare. "-incessantly curious about our guest, after they learned we had one. Besides, I know you're probably bored of all of the Leaguers by now."

Danny felt his cheeks grow warm with embarrassment. "I wouldn't say I'm bored." Danny jerked in surprise when Kid Flash was suddenly sitting on the couch next to him.

While Kid Flash waited for the others to enter, the speedster looked over the kid before him. He looked normal enough, even if he was a bit scrawny and looked kinda like a deer in headlights. He wasn't sold on the whole ghost thing, but this was something to do. Anything to get his mind of off of that CEO's death that he, Robin, and Aqulad had failed to prevent.

"So you're the other kid from Cadmus? You a clone like Supey, here?" Kid Flash asked and jerked a thumb over his shoulder at a taller boy who'd come into the room. Danny watched as Robin, Aqualad and a female martian also entered.

"Uh, no. I'm the original deal. Cloning me isn't easy anyways," Danny replied and shifted uneasily. He was a bit surprised to see all the young heroes. He definitely had a spot of hero-worship for many of the Leaguers, for different reasons. Superman because of his boy-scout persona, which Danny tried to emulate when talking to people with his hero voice. Batman, because he always felt more at ease at night when on patrol. He also liked Flash and Green Arrow because of their sometimes cocky attitudes. He even liked Martian Manhunter because he recognized he was an alien. But the younger heroes? He had truly tried to copy. Though most of them had started several months after him, they were much better at their jobs early on. At the time they were taking down bad guys, he was still trying to not fall through the ground or turn invisible on accident. He'd definitely had a few months of trial and error, while they had seemingly jumped right into it beside their mentors. Sam had always told him that he didn't need to be hard on himself because of that very reason; he'd never had a mentor to teach him anything. To say he felt a bit jealous wouldn't be inaccurate. Mostly though, he was geeking out a little at the sight of them and the other protégés that he wasn't familiar with.

"Is that because of the ectoplasm laced throughout your body?" Robin asked, leaning over the couch's back some. The face of the boy wonder seemed to have a permanent mischievousness that was there no matter his expression. Danny didn't notice Canary smile and slip out of the room.

"Uh," Danny blanked before he remembered that Robin was the Batman's protégé and a budding detective himself. "Yeah, that's right."

"How interesting!" Danny looked over as the female martian floated towards his left side. She had a bright smiling face and long orange hair that reminded Danny of his sister. "So you're a ghost?"

Danny nodded briefly. "A half-ghost, but yeah."

Kid Flash snorted briefly, but Danny was too busy answering the questions from the others. "You can phase through things and turn completely invisible to the visible spectrum, right?" Robin asked with a grin. "That's gotta be killer for pranks." Danny seemed like a generally good guy and from what Robin could tell from his body-language, he was honest and not hiding anything. All in all, Robin concluded that Danny was just like him and the other teen heroes. The boy wonder made a mental note to go visit Amity Park sometime if Danny eventually had to go home.

Danny's face lit up. "You bet. At least, it would be if my two best friends didn't always know it was me." He looked over at the martian and the taller boy he didn't know. "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I know who you two are."

"Oh! Hello, Megan-" the martian replied before smiling at Danny. "My name's M'gann M'orzz, but I go by Miss Martian. You can call me Megan though, since that's an Earth name."

"Miss Martian…" Danny hummed and then grinned. "I like it." M'gann smiled back just as brightly as Danny then looked at the other boy.

"Superboy," He answered gruffly.

"He's a clone of Superman," Kid Flash explained.

"Oh, wow. Really?" Danny asked and looked back at, the now dubbed, Superboy.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" Superboy questioned with a bit of menacing air about him.

Danny shook his head. "No. It's not like it's your fault that you're a clone." Superboy seemed to relax a bit. "Batman told me the place we were found in was a place that was trying to create genetic weapons-" Danny looked at Superboy and was easily reminded of another clone he knew. "I'm sorry that was the first look at the world that you saw."

Superboy looked at Danny for a moment, considering the surprisingly understanding gesture, before he nodded. "Thanks."

"Do you have any idea why you were there?" Robin asked and Danny turned back to look at the other three that were more to his right.

"Not really. We don't think they knew that I was a Halfa, so they wouldn't know I had DNA. Maybe they thought they could try and copy my core's ecto-signature, but there's no guarantee that it could recreate a copy of my ghost half. Ghosts are more complex than most people realize."

"Halfa? Ghosts? Ecto-signature?" Kid Flash scoffed. "You're really trying to sell this ghost thing."

"Dude, it's a science. Danny's parents are the ones that opened a gateway into the Ghost Zone," Robin informed. The boy wonder grinned at Danny. "Sorry about KF. Sometimes he talks before he thinks."

"Hey!"

Danny shrugged. "Everyone used to call my parents crackpots before the ghosts actually started to terrorize the town. I honestly didn't believe in them until I became one."

"So you did protect your town from ghosts and spirits," Aqualad pressed. He had only heard of Phantom on a couple of occasions and that had been when Amity had been under siege by it's two ghost invasions. Aquaman had told him that they had been taken care of by the resident hero. He could only guess that their mentors hadn't realized that Danny was mortal and as young as the protégés were.

Danny nodded. "I tried anyways. At first I had to learn how not to phase through things and turn invisible all the time. My learning curve wasn't easy… it still isn't easy."

"You're still gaining abilities?" Robin asked.

Danny chuckled nervously. "Sorta. I'm trying to learn how to duplicate, but it's hard. There aren't many people like me, so it's hard to know when I've reached my peak."

"I'm certain you'll come to master them eventually," Aqualad smiled.

Danny smiled back a bit bashfully. "Thanks. I mean… when I started out… I wanted to be like you guys. Seeing you on TV and in the news actually helped give me the idea to use my powers for helping people."

"Who wouldn't?" Kid Flash boasted.

Aqualad gave Kid Flash an amused look before looking back at Danny. "Didn't you start around the same time as us? Kid Flash, Speedy, and myself I mean."

"Well yeah, but you guys honestly knew what you were doing." Danny gave a half-smile and furrowed his brows. "Like I said, I had to learn how to control my powers. I didn't even know how to fight at first. I still don't really know how to fight. I just punch and kick and blast at them and hope I'm close."

"Sounds like you could use some training," Robin grinned.

Danny smirked. "I would've but it wasn't like I had anyone to teach me. My parents didn't even know what I was doing."

The talk stalled for a moment, before M'gann spoke up, "I was wondering if we could see your ghost form. I heard from my uncle that you transform into your ghost form with a ring of light."

Danny looked at the alien and smiled. "Uh sure, I guess." He stood up from the couch and the other teens watched closely as Danny threw his arms upwards. "I'm going ghost!" Something like a halo of light appeared around the boy's waist before it split and started to change his body. Once the transformation was done, he struck a small battle pose after turning to face the group. They were faced with a teen that had white hair, acidic green eyes, and a white and black hazmat suit. A faint aura danced around his body as he floated an inch above the ground.

"Huh, maybe I should have a battle cry," Kid Flash murmured and looked at Robin.

"What, something like, it's time to flash?" Robin asked, as a sly smile crept onto his face.

"Dude!" KF growled out.

Danny chuckled slightly and tipped so he could lay in the air on his side while still facing them. "Honestly I don't use it much anymore. At first, it was to help me concentrate when I was trying to transform."

"Wow, you can switch your appearance about as fast as I can," M'gann expressed and floated around the boy before coming back to her starting place.

Superboy looked up at Danny with a frown. "Your heart stopped. Is that normal?"

The rest of the group looked up at Danny immediately as the boy shrugged. "I think so. I've never really noticed my heart beating when I'm in ghost form. I don't need oxygen either when I'm like this. I'm not sure how it works, but my heart starts up again when I change back. Wasn't like I had any place I could have a check up."

"You should definitely let the League give you a medical check up before you go home," Robin spoke and nodded. "We don't want this to be harmful."

Danny nodded back. "Yeah. I plan to." Danny then transformed back, so Superboy could relax at that sound of his returning heartbeat. He looked at M'gann for a moment, who actually blushed slightly at his stare.

"Um…"

"Sorry," Danny expressed and looked down. "I just… I'm sorta really a fan of space in general and you're an alien. I just think it's really cool."

"Oh!" M'gann smiled brightly. "Thanks, Danny." Robin gave a smirk, it seemed even Danny didn't know Superman or the Hawks were aliens, then again most civilians and solo heroes didn't know which Leaguers were aliens unless they really looked the part.

Danny grinned back. "Could you tell me about Mars? I mean… if you want to."

"I wouldn't mind." M'gann watched as Danny's face lit up with excitement. He was soft-spoken and a bit bashful compared to the other boys on her team, though he wasn't above throwing out a joke or smart comment. He seemed to be feeling a bit awkward or maybe insecure, but she couldn't tell easily. Emotion in it's rawest form blotted out most of his mental presence, making it harder for her to decipher precisely what he was feeling without more effort.

"You a space nut or something?" Kid Flash asked, getting a little huffy over the attention Danny was getting from M'gann.

Danny hummed and rubbed the back of his head. "Before I died, my dream was to become an astronaut." He looked up at the ceiling of the room as a small frown came to his face. "I might not ever be able to be a legit astronaut anymore, considering what I am now and everything that's happened, but at least I can fly through space without a suit. I touched a space rock that was orbiting Earth once. It was awesome." He looked back down at the others, never seeing the looks they had exchanged between them when Danny had mentioned his 'death'.

For a couple hours after that, M'gann answered all of Danny's questions about Mars. Danny sat and listened, completely enraptured with the things she talked about. Eventually Batman came and informed Danny that his family and friends would be coming in three days. Danny was of course delighted at this news. The teens eventually left on good terms and Danny felt a bit of loneliness strike him after they'd shut the door behind them.

As much as Danny loved Sam and Tucker and was missing them sorely, this was the first time he'd been able to talk with teens his age that completely understood the responsibilities he placed on himself. Sam and Tucker almost knew the feeling and they definitely had their own responsibilities and demons, but it just wasn't quite the same. After everything was over, he knew he'd want to see the young heroes again. The idea that this was all temporary, made him sad.

Maybe the League would show support for him in some way and that might even convince the government and people to like ghosts more. Danny let out a sigh and picked up the remote. Back to watching infomercials, unless he could actually find the- he flicked past a news scene of Superman fighting Livewire and came back to it. He smiled and rested his chin in his hands as he watched the hero fight.

He had a feeling that he'd never be able to stop being Phantom, to stop helping people. A frown came to his face. But he couldn't possibly put his family at risk until they had a better idea of how bad the criminal was that had made it possible for Omega and his goons to capture him. He tried not to think about the tough decisions ahead of him as he watched one of his childhood heroes battle evil.

 **Washington D.C. Hall of Justice. July 14, 2010. 12:01 EDT.**

He was excited, but also nervous. Today he'd get to see his family. The only weird thing was that it didn't feel like it had been two months to him. After all, he'd been frozen for those two months. If anything, it would be more emotional for his loved ones, not that he was taking his good fortune for granted. It could've been so much worse. He'd even had a nightmare the other night where it had turned out badly and had ended with more blood- Danny shook his head to rid himself of the images and feelings.

Behind him were Batman, Zatara, and Flash. Robin, Aqualad, M'gann, Kid Flash, and Superboy were also present. It turned out that Danny had owed his life to not only a few Leaguers that had visited the floor he was stored on, but also most of the protégés for bringing attention to Cadmus in the first place. He supposed the mentors wanted to let the teens see the reunion they had helped bring about, not that it bothered Danny. He knew how addicting it could be to see smiles on the faces of grateful people.

It was actually Black Canary that lead his loved ones into the back room he'd been staying in. They had come to check a lead on their missing son had been the cover-up. A psychic that may or may not be a real person was who they were going to see, that way there wasn't a lack of a police report to question. Apparently, Sam and Tucker had managed to come because Sam's grandma Ida had helped them leave. She had said that the two kids had needed to get away from Amity and get their minds off of Danny ironically enough. Danny and the League were thinking the elderly woman knew more than she let on.

As the door swung open, Sam was the one to walk in first. Normally, Sam would've allowed the boy's family to get through first, but she wasn't exactly feeling herself. She marched right up to a smiling, then frowning, Danny before shoving him with both her hands. Danny stumbled back a couple steps before he was able to catch himself.

"You moron! This is why I said we should always go with you on patrol!" Sam yelled out. Danny blinked in surprise. The teens behind Danny all seemed startled, except for Robin who merely lifted a brow in thought. Batman was also quiet, while Zatara was slightly alarmed and Flash's eyes had opened wider.

"Geez, Sam. What the heck?" Danny suddenly snapped back, mostly because this wasn't what he'd expected.

Sam clenched her jaw slightly, before Tucker ran forward and bear-hugged his bro. "God, dude. I thought I'd lost my best friend."

There was a moment of silence before Danny's face dropped and Sam's did as well. Danny hugged Tucker back before he noticed something sparkling near Sam's lashes. "Sorry." He barely heard her murmur and he was fairly sure he wasn't suppose to have. The girl shoved her way into the hug and soon all three friends were grasping at each other desperately. As Danny pressed his forehead against their temples while they embraced, he actually felt his throat start to tighten. Even though he hadn't experienced the time that had passed, he couldn't help but get emotional at the worn sounds of his friends' voices.

"I'm sorry I worried you guys so much." The Leaguers and teen heroes relaxed at that and watched with smiles at the scene.

"We really thought you were really gone this time…" Sam muttered, not letting her face show at the moment for some reason.

Tucker didn't say anything else, except to squeeze a bit harder. It seemed he couldn't really think of any words to say in the moment. After a couple more minutes, the two friends let go and backed away. Danny saw that Tucker's eyes were a bit red and Sam's eye make-up was smudged a bit. A bit of movement behind them caught his eye and he looked up at his family. His father looked as though he was numb, his mother's cheeks were wet, and his sister just looked like relief would consume her. The red-head practically hopped forward and planted a kiss on his forehead before he could get away. Her arms caged him and her hair tickled his nose.

"I'm so glad you're okay, little brother. I just knew you couldn't be gone. I never really started the grieving process…"

Danny chuckled a bit. "Again with the psychology stuff, sis?"

"Shut-up."

"I love you, Jazz."

He felt her frame shutter as he guessed new tears came to the surface. "I love you too, Danny." He hugged her back. Then he faced his parents.

"Mom, Dad, I just want to tell you first how sorry I am."

"Young man-" Maddie started and Danny's face adopted a confused look when his mother swept him into her arms and started to weep. "Don't you dare say you're sorry. Oh, Danny… My sweet boy… It's all our fault."

Danny's face fell, not even feeling embarrassment from her calling him her sweet boy, in favor of focusing on the guilt she was exhibiting. "Mom, it's not your fault. I went into the lab when you told me not to, I lied over and over again, I did something dangerous without ever asking you or dad how you felt about it-"

"Danno, we never gave you a reason to trust us with something like that. After all the horrible things we said about Phantom and ghosts… I would've been terrified too or at the very least wary." Danny braced himself as his large father encompassed his wife and son in a giant hug. "I'm just so glad you're safe and sound."

Danny felt his eyes dip closed and he didn't feel any shame in burying his head into their warmth. "Me too."

Danny talked a bit longer with his family and two friends, before Batman spoke up and captured their attention. "Now we have to decide what to do."

Danny glanced at the ground for a moment, before looking at his loved ones, then at the teen heroes and the Leaguers, and finally the ground again. After a couple of silent moments, he spoke, "I can't put them at risk."

"Danny?" Jazz asked in worry before her brother turned to her.

"We still don't know who exactly captured me and delivered me to Cadmus. There's a chance that someone really bad is behind this and might figure out that I'm Phantom and Fenton if I go home."

Sam seemed to have a look of understanding come to her face. "You aren't coming home, are you?"

Danny looked at Sam and smiled half-heartedly. "I can't. Not if there's a chance that I could be found out. You know what that would do to me if you guys ever got hurt."

Tucker frowned. "It never stopped me and Sam from helping in the past. It hasn't been the same without you. Did you know even Dash was all mopey when you were announced as missing?"

Danny blinked in surprise. "Dash? Dash of all people missed me?"

"I can't decide if it's because he feels guilt or if he just misses beating up on you," Sam added before she scoffed. "It's almost like more people pay attention to me and Tucker now because you're missing. It's honestly disgusting."

"That boy has still been giving you trouble?" Maddie asked with frustration. "I thought I told the principle about that-"

Danny shook his head. "Don't worry about it. After I got my powers, it was more annoying and embarrassing than it was painful or anything." Danny sighed. "But my decision still stands. I can't come home, not at least until we find more info about who hired the leftover Guys in White goons."

"So what, we're just supposed to pretend that you're still missing?" Jack asked. He honestly looked like a kicked puppy at the idea of leaving his son.

Danny smiled at his father. "I've been talking with Batman and Black Canary about what we could do." He looked over his shoulder at the teens and the League and then back at his loved ones. "The truth is, my future was pretty bleak without help."

"Danny you can still end up with a good jo-" Maddie started but halted when her son put a hand up, silently.

"I know what you're going to say and for most people you would be right. I'm a ghost though, mom. While I'm still technically alive, I also am a ghost under the law. I'm safest here, with people that can back me up. I want to stay here and help the League with whatever they'll let me. I'll be safe and can go to school as someone else and manage my education better. I can have a bit of help figuring out how I can have a fairly normal civilian life eventually and you guys will stay safe. If we play our cards right, you can come visit me and I can come visit you all as Phantom." Danny grinned slightly at his mom, but mostly his dad. "The League also wanted to learn about ghost technology from you guys. S.T.A.R. Labs hasn't even been able to accurately reproduce your work and-"

"Well of course not! It's Fenton brand!" Jack announced with pride.

Maddie smiled. "We always alter things on the blueprints, very few people know our process. Reproductions work but are often incomplete."

Danny nodded. "Batman told me that S.T.A.R. Labs is going to be annexing with Axion Labs in Amity. Someone gave them a donation so that they could afford to buy it. You can work there and they'll share stuff with the League."

"Wow. I never would've dreamed…" Jack trailed off. Batman listened closely and was glad to see that the Fentons would be willing to make more of their equipment. His belt was already dead after having run out of ectoplasm. Even he had been not quite yet able to figure out how to make the devices rechargeable rather than run on limited amounts of ectoplasm like a battery.

"Of course, that little part is a secret, right dad?" Danny asked and raised a brow.

Jack put a hand to his heart. "I know sometimes I get passionate about things, but I know when to get my game face on, son."

Maddie smiled at her husband before looking at Danny with worry. "You could just, come home as Fenton."

There was a pause before Danny looked at Sam, Tucker, and Jazz. Finally he looked back at his parents. "You could ask Sam, Tucker, or Jazz and they probably know the answer to that one."

"Not happening," All three teens replied at once, which caused some of the heroes to smile.

"Your son, has an irritating hero-complex, Mrs. Fenton. He's sometimes insufferable to be honest," Sam continued.

Maddie smiled at the words before looking at her son with a more stern expression. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

Danny frowned and he felt a childish sting of homesickness rush through him at the idea of not going home, at least not in the same way ever again. He knew though, what was the best option for _everyone_. "Yeah, I am. I love helping people. I've skipped out on school, meals, sleep, and time with my friends to hunt a ghost or save people from one disaster or another. Even if I wasn't a ghost with an obsession for protection, I'd do it. When I first got my powers, all I wanted was to be normal again, but now… this is my normal." Danny then transformed in front of his parents for the first time. Even though he knew they knew and they did in fact now know, it was still a solemn and unreal moment. Jack and Maddie Fenton looked up at their floating son, who was radiating power and peace with his white aura.

Jazz eventually smiled. "Well, I guess it won't be too hard to miss you as if you were gone. I will in fact, miss you little brother."

Danny smiled and landed on the ground.

"Yeah dude. You'll have to make a new file for DOOM and play with me and Sam a ton," Tucker gave a sad smile.

"I'll miss you, Danny, but I support anyone who follows their passion," Sam expressed.

"Even me and my love of meat?" Tucker asked and rose his brows.

Sam sighed. "I wouldn't call that a passion."

"You never take me seriously."

"Huh, I wonder why?"

Danny started to laugh and then both Sam and Tucker got tickled at his laughter. Danny looked at them both and grinned. "This is just what I said before, remember? We're past Box Ghosts and Ectopi. We knew it wasn't going to be easy."

Sam smiled softly. "Yeah, you're right."

"Besides. It's not goodbye. It's just… a bit of a change." Danny expressed. He smiled a bit more brightly. "Besides, maybe we'll figure this all out in no time! And maybe the government will drop the Anti-Ecto Acts and we won't have to worry about people coming to take me away anymore."

Sam snorted before a frown tried to tug at her face. "You never have that good of luck."

"I know positivity isn't exactly you're thing-"

"Yeah, but I guess I could make an exception for this."

Tucker held out a hand and Danny clasped it. "We'll always be best friends and if the League says okay we'll visit you so often you'll grow tired of us."

"I doubt that, Tuck, but yeah." Danny chuckled at his friend as Sam clasped their hands.

"One last Team Phantom huddle?" Sam asked.

"Sure." Danny replied.

"Why not?" Tucker shrugged.

All three then looked up at Jazz and the red-head blinked and then pointed at herself. "Me?"

"You may have been new, but you were part of the Team, right?" Danny asked with a smile.

Jazz smiled back and moved closer to join the huddle. "This isn't the last time though. It's just temporary okay?"

Danny nodded. "You got it."

"Go Ghost Getters!" Jazz cried out happily, making Danny, Sam, and Tucker groan.

"Jazz…" They whined.

"What? It's a good chant."

In the background, the members of the Team took a chance to try and steal glances at the people in their new team. Each of them were having their own thoughts about the show of companionship between the other teens of the professed Team Phantom. Maybe they weren't trained or had had people to teach them and guide them, but there was a trust there that seemed nearly palpable.

Danny, his sister, and friends all parted as Maddie came forward to hug Danny again. "We love you so much and are so proud of you. I just have to ask one last thing as your mother."

"What?" Danny asked

"Stay safe. I can't possibly lose you again," She whispered.

Danny frowned before he embraced his mother tightly and his aura flared. "I will. I'll be even safer than I was before. They'll teach me how to really defend myself."

Jack walked past the two to face the heroes there. "I grew up watching the Justice Society fight crime and thought they were awesome. They inspired me to not give up in my studies a lot of times…"

"Jack?" Maddie questioned and Danny looked up at his father.

"I also was excited when the League started up. I was glad to know that some new heroes were wanting to watch after the Earth in honor of their predecessors. I've just learned that my son is a superhero. It's a little humbling honestly. I used to want to be a hero to my son, to protect him from ghosts since I thought they were all dangerous. I guess I failed at that for the most part. I just ask that you watch after him the best you can, that you succeed where I failed."

Black Canary seemed touched by the man's speech. "We'll do everything we can, Mr. Fenton."

Jack let out a relieved sigh before he looked back at his wife and son.

"You know that you taught me how to be righteous, right?" Danny asked quietly.

Jack seemed a bit surprised but he smiled. "I'm glad I did that at least. Even if the world never knows it, you'll do the Fenton name proud, son."

Danny smiled back at his dad. "Thanks dad." Danny then looked at Jazz. "Do they know about…"

Jazz seemed to understand what he was asking. "Yeah, they know about Plasmius."

"I'm sorry about him, son."

"Don't be. He's created his own prison," Maddie expressed.

"Mom's right. Just pretend like you don't know," Danny added.

"Who's Plasmius?" Flash asked. Batman merely narrowed his eyes as though in thought.

Danny glanced at Team Phantom before looking at the Leaguers and teen heroes with a sly grin. "I'm going to enjoy finally telling someone about him. We'll talk later. I promise."

Tucker moved around his friend and grinned at the heroes. "Any one willing to sign their autographs? Maybe even a number or two?" The techno-geek winked at a startled M'gann and an amused Black Canary while both Danny and Sam grew exasperated.

"Tucker!"

"What!? A guy can have his vice, can't he?" Tucker complained.

The visit continued for a while, before it finally had to come to an end. It was difficult to really say goodbye, but Danny did. His loved one's left the same way they'd come, with Canary leading the way, and the half-ghost transformed into his human self before looking at Batman.

"So, I know you said you had an idea of what to do with me, but you were vague until I gave my final decision…"

Batman looked down at Robin and the teens and that caused them to look at each other rapidly as though trying to figure out if they knew what he was thinking. "We recently formed a Team of protégés that will be doing covert missions for the League-"

"Spy stuff." Robin interrupted.

Batman seemed ever so slightly amused by the excitement his ward was exhibiting before he continued. "I figured that a ghost would fit the role quite well. Superboy and Miss Martian live at the Team's HQ, so it'll be similar to a dorm."

Danny blinked before he looked at the teens, who were all giving him excited looks, even Superboy seemed to approve. "You mean it?"

"Dude, Batman doesn't joke," Kid Flash blurted before he flinched and look over his shoulder. Flash snorted while Batman gave the older speedster a quick but efficient bat-glare.

Danny nodded. "Yeah. I'll do it. I've always preferred doing background work anyways, just tended to always work out better for me."

"Good. We've also talked with your parents about the possibility of relocating their ghost portal. It would be unwise to leave it there without proper protection," Batman added.

Danny hummed. "Sounds good. The only problem is that ghosts could try and come through the portal if they find out where it has moved to in the Zone."

"I talked with your parents and friends about that same thing. They've locked it down currently and so far that's seemed to have been effective. They intend to find a way to secure it further. That way it can be at the Cave and not risk its discovery, while also giving you and the rest of us the chance to study the Zone in more detail. Any ghosts that do make it out after that probably will utilize a natural portal."

"Natural portals have been more regular and active since the man-made one activated…" Robin mused.

"Really? Maybe that's how the freakin' Box Ghost kept getting out…" Danny muttered in irritation.

"Who?" Kid Flash asked.

Danny sighed and rotated his hand once, flippantly. "The dumb Box Ghost. I'll tell you guys about that annoyance later. You'll probably get a kick out of it."

Batman walked forward and handed a backpack, a purple backpack, to Danny. It was his. "Your friends packed it. Tucker said that he put the disk you asked for in there as well."

Danny smiled fondly and held the bag. "My ghost files…" He reached inside and saw a thermos, a small book, and some other small pieces of ghost gear, which consisted of a few pairs of Fenton ear phones and the Ghost Gabber. His face dropped. "Very funny, Tucker…" He muttered to himself.

"Now we can log you into the Zeta beam system and get you settled," Batman expressed.

"I'll be coming as well," Black Canary offered.

Danny smiled, feeling a bit of excitement flood his system. He wondered if this was what it was like to start college.

"We can go shopping later for some things for you," M'gann offered.

Danny blinked and looked up at Batman. "I don't have money-"

"Don't worry about it. The League will handle it," the Dark Knight replied.

For the first time in a long while, Danny really felt satisfaction. "Thank you, sir."

 **Mount Justice. July 14, 2010. 14:02 EDT.**

 _Recognized. Phantom, B06. Batman, 02. Black Canary, 13. Superboy, B04. Miss Martian, B05._

Danny looked up as the computerized voice read off his name and new registration number. "Whoa, that's pretty cool." He glanced up at Batman as the hero appeared next to him. Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad had been sent home while Danny was settled into the Cave. "Do you think we could change the number?"

Black Canary smirked and looked at Danny. "Why?"

"I was thinking B00."

Black Canary's smile grew and she gave Batman a look.

"Sorry, that was pretty dumb," Danny chuckled nervously.

"Unfortunately, I don't think the system can work in a double zero," Canary expressed as the group exited the mission room, walked through the lounge and kitchen area, past the locker rooms, workout room, shower rooms, something that looked like a medical bay, and a hanger. They made it to the living quarters and M'gann floated forward excitedly.

"This one is Superboy's," M'gann explained and pointed to a door on the left side of the hall. "And this one is mine." She gestured to a door across the hall.

Danny smiled and looked over at the quiet Superboy. "Do you mind if we're neighbors?"

Superboy looked at him a second before answering. "No."

Danny scratched the back of his head. "Do you mean no as in go away or no as in come and stay?"

Superboy rose a brow at Danny before he sighed slightly. "You can be my neighbor."

Danny perked up again and walked towards the door down from Superboy's. The Leaguers and teens watched him open it up and walk inside. "Huh, it really is dorm-like." It was basic and had a plain dark lavender colored bed with matching walls and ceiling. The room also sported a TV, computer, bedside table, dresser and trash bin. Danny placed his backpack on the bed before he slid out a small book.

"What's that?" Canary asked.

"Just a journal of sorts. It's a collection of things really. Jazz forced me to start it a few months back," Danny replied and slid it into the side table's drawer. He looked around one more time before back at the others. "It's really great. Thanks again."

"I'm so happy you like it," M'gann expressed.

Batman took a step forward. "May I have the disk?"

Danny nodded and pulled the disk out from his bag before handing it to the Dark Knight. He paused right before he placed it in the man's hand. The pause drew their attention before Danny looked into Batman's mask, where his eyes would be.

"What's wrong?" Batman asked plainly.

"It's…" Danny looked back at the disk and frowned, there were a couple ghosts that weren't listed on those files. The image of a blue skinned, fiery haired version of himself appeared in his mind, but he shooed it away. "...nothing." Canary frowned as the exchange occurred while Batman just seemed to let it go, at least outwardly. Danny kept talking. "Some of the files have images, some just don't because we didn't have the time or the ability to get a picture of them. Those that don't have pictures have descriptions and any missing info is just unknown about the ghost."

"Understood." Batman pulled the disk into his cape, where he could find a place to store it on himself, before he spoke again. "I have something for you."

Danny seemed a bit surprised and watched as Batman pulled something from his utility belt. It looked like a silver ring that could pass as a wedding band. Danny looked back at Batman and couldn't help himself. "Usually you take someone to dinner first." Canary smirked, Superboy rose a brow and M'gann just seemed confused. Danny could tell by the narrowing of those white slits that Batman wasn't as amused by his joke. "Sorry, force of habit."

"It's a holographic generator." Batman explained and gave the ring to Danny. The boy put it on and slid it over his knuckle.

"It's really tight," Danny expressed.

"You want it to be. You don't want it to slide off easily," Batman replied. "This will provide you with a disguise for when you go out and will also provide a disguise that mimics your ghost half should you ever lose access to your powers during a mission."

"Really?" Danny asked and looked at the ring in a new light. "I've been trying to figure out ways to keep my form when I get knocked out, but so far it only lasts so long before I change."

"See the small buttons closest to you?" Batman instructed.

Danny looked at the ring and saw two tiny lines that outlined the location of what he presumed were the two buttons. "Yeah."

"The right one is your new civilian identity. The left one is your false ghost form," Batman continued.

Danny pressed the right button and saw the ring vanish. "Whoa, I can still feel it, but I can't see it."

"The ring becomes disguised as well."

Danny popped his head up before he turned to look at the mirror that hung on the wall closest to the door. He could see M'gann and Canary smiling behind him, while Superboy didn't seem to care much.

"I think you look great with hazel eyes," Canary offered. Danny looked over himself and was surprised that he didn't look all that different. His eyes stood out the most, going from bright baby blue to hazel. His hair lightened slightly to something that still looked black, but it was more obvious that his hair was just really a very dark brown. There were a few minor differences in his facial structure, but they weren't very noticeable to him.

"Wow, that's so weird." Danny ran a hand through his hair. He then looked down and felt for the second button before pressing it. He now had the appearance of his ghost half, even a small false aura was there. "Dang…" Danny murmured. Eventually he changed back to normal and the ring reappeared.

"Your new last name will be Harrison."

Danny glanced up at Batman as he spoke. The boy hummed. "Can I still keep Danny?"

"Yes, it's common enough."

"Phew, I probably would've messed that up otherwise," Danny expressed.

M'gann floated forward before landing on the ground. She placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Would you like to go shopping now? You need some clothes and personal things. Kid Flash took Superboy not long ago."

"Uh, sure."

"Then we'll take our leave. If you ever need anything, you can make an appointment to talk with me Danny. We also need to start teaching you proper fighting technique. I'm sure you'll catch up soon." Canary explained.

"Thanks, I'll make sure to ask if I need someone," Danny replied.

"Canary or I will inform you about what plans we make with your family and friends. Red Tornado is also a supervisor here and lives on the second floor if you need to ask questions. Here's a charge card," Batman added and handed Danny a shiny plastic card. The two adults walked out soon after.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Danny responded.

Then he was alone with M'gann and Superboy.

"Would you like to go shopping now or do you want some time to wander around the Cave or do you want a tour?" M'gann rambled.

Danny smiled. "A tour would be great after we shop around. I'll meet you guys in the mission room in a minute."

"Okay, later Danny," M'gann expressed and exited. Superboy nodded at Danny before leaving as well. The half-ghost watched the door slide closed and he sighed as he looked around his room again.

"Home sweet home." Though he was feeling right about his choice, something in him repeatedly told him everyone was better off this way, and he just knew this new support system was something he had sorely needed for two years, he couldn't help but feel homesick. He missed his bed, his crazy house, even the ectoplasm in their dinners. He resolved to remind himself that things change and this was a place he could truly thrive. Besides, if he was lucky, he'd get to see his friends and family often enough and that was all he really needed.

Danny glanced down at the ring on his right ring finger and pressed the button that changed him into his new civilian self. He was glad he didn't look too different, so he could still be himself mostly. "Hi! My name's Danny, Danny Harrison." Danny spoke aloud as he faced himself in the mirror. He'd have to practice that last name.

He smiled and made sure his card was safe in his pocket before walking out of his room. He needed to go shop now.

* * *

 **Lol jk this chapter is actually nearly 10,000 words. Oops. But wow guys, 100+ follows in one week. I knew the need for a Alive!Family and Friends story was great, but I didn't know how great. I certainly hope I can rise to your expectations. I've been making some interesting plans for later, much later, and I hope you like them when they finally get here.**

 **The actual episodes / plot starts next chapter. Hoped you liked how I dealt with this so far.**

 **Added note: I gave Danny the B06 number seeing as I feel like Speedy wasn't truly offered his number/open spot until the start of the Mr. Twister episode. The rest of the Team members will be pushed down one number. So Speedy/Red Arrow B07, Artemis B08, etc.**

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 **NoSignal to Thunderwulf: TUE has already happened and passed. This crossover begins after Double Cross my Heart. Everything before that is just canon DP episodes.**


	3. Getting Turbed

**I want you guys to tell me what you think about this chapter. My plan is to do the YJ plotline, but have it AU and altered in some ways. Though I am going to write missions that weren't in the show as well as scenes that weren't in the show, I want to make sure that the scenes from the show I do rewrite and alter are still fairly entertaining.**

 **I ask that you consider reading the Author's Note at the bottom. Thanks and enjoy!**

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 **Mount Justice. July 17, 2010. 8:10 EDT.**

He blinked open his eyes blearily. Then released a quiet yawn. It only took Danny a quick moment to look around and remember where he was. He then smothered his face into his pillow and sighed. Right, he was boarding with two other super powered teens and the general public thought Danny Fenton was dead or still missing, anyways. He turned his head sideways and just stared at his door in contemplation.

He really did want to go make some breakfast. He was hungry. Danny grumbled and pulled himself out of bed. Still in his pajamas, he phased through his locked door and walked down the hall. Once he made it to the Cave's kitchen, he started to put together his breakfast. It was when he was pouring himself a glass of orange juice that he was interrupted.

"Oh!"

Danny yelped at the sudden voice and poured orange juice over the counter before spinning around, carton still in hand. M'gann was at the entrance to the kitchen with her hand over her mouth. He glanced back at the counter when he heard the juice dripping down the cabinets and onto the floor.

"I'm so sorry Danny. I didn't mean to surprise you," M'gann spoke up and floated closer.

Danny smiled in a relaxed way before he laughed a bit. "Sounded more like I had surprised you." He looked at the paper towels and reached over for them. "Sorry about the mess."

"Yeah. I guess I'm still not completely used to another person in the Cave." M'gann expressed with a smile.

Danny finished soaking up the juice and cleaned up. He then picked up his cereal and juice. "I'm going back to my room to watch TV. Canary told me yesterday that she'll be coming in today to assess how much I know about fighting and my general physical ability." His mouth quirked downward slightly at the thought, and M'gann seemed to pick up his discomfort.

"Oh okay! I'm sure you'll do fine, Danny." She paused briefly and then spoke again. "Um, I was wondering if you wanted to do something later, with me and Superboy? I've been trying to make Superboy more comfortable..." She gasped slightly and looked up. "You too, of course!" A red glow came to the girl's cheeks.

Danny smiled at her and nodded. "Thanks and yeah, I'd like that." He furrowed his brows. Danny was so used to just Sam and Tucker wanting to be his friends that he'd forgotten what to do with newer acquaintances; he hadn't made new friends in so long. "We could uh, play a board game?" The half-ghost sorta blurted the idea out before thinking. He didn't really play board games with Sam or Tucker, though his family liked them a lot. It was just the first thing that had come to mind that most people could enjoy. By the look on M'gann's face, he'd made a good suggestion.

"Yes! I know just the one. See ya then, Danny! I'm going to go tell Superboy, once he wakes up."

The girl zoomed off and Danny let out a breath of relief. A weight seemed to float off him as a smile came to his face. He was on the way to making new friends and they seemed to like him well enough. The small act of kindness was also a confidence boost; it felt nice. He could do this.

Danny traipsed back to his room and walked through the door. After turning on the TV and flopping onto his bed, he dug into his cereal like he'd done almost every other morning at home.

 **Star City. July 17, 2010. 23:16 PDT.**

The night was silent except for the sounds of crates being lowered on the dock's cranes. An arrow whistled through the air and stuck to the ground between the two men trying to help the crate to the floor. An explosion of smoke forced the two men to stumble backwards and one of their guns slid across the ground.

The man known as Brick leaned down and snatched up the weapon before pointing it upwards at none other than Speedy.

"Oh! You again! I'm starting to get insulted that Green Arrow's not messin' up my operations personally!" Brick growled out and took aim. He fired off several shots and Speedy dodged each one by ducking and weaving through the I-beams and skeleton of the half-built structure he was on. Speedy flipped over the last shot from the blaster and let fly another arrow while he was in mid-flip.

The arrow struck Brick and tore his suit to shreds with an explosion. Speedy watched the man closely, waiting for a response. Honestly, he just wanted the guy to shut-up so he could mark another drug-dealer or criminal off his list. If he could simply gain a decent track record and score a few bigger jobs, then the League would have to start taking greater notice of him. Brick growled angrily. "Do you know what I pay for a suit in my size?! Scorch the Earth, boys." He looked over his shoulder as some of his thugs moved forward with weapons.

A blur of yellow surged through the men and caused some to trip or drop their weapons. A few bird-a-rangs knocked even more weapons out of the thugs' hands. Robin swung over them, letting out a haunting cackle and landing behind some shipping containers as Aqualad sprung onto the boxes and whipped out his water bearers. The water whips he then constructed slammed the rest of the men into the walls of the containers and knocked them out.

Brick lost his patience shortly after that and pulled up a large portion of concrete before chucking it at Speedy. The archer sprinted and ducked to let the projectile miss him before firing another shot. It exploded against the criminal's skin and barely did any damage, only prompting Brick to throw another boulder-sized slab of concrete.

At that moment, Aqualad dropped into the battle and sliced the boulder in half with his water swords. A smoke bomb exploded next to Brick and caused him to start hacking. As Robin dropped beside the two teens, Aqualad started to talk.

"The cave is perfect. It has everything that the Team will need."

"For covert missions, like spy stuff!" Robin exclaimed. Kid Flash zoomed up to the group of young heroes and smirked.

"And wait until you meet Phantom, Superboy, and Miss Martian! But I saw her first."

They heard the sound of crunching and cracking rock as well as a cry of anger and moved on instinct. Speedy dashed to his right, Kid Flash dove off the boxes, Robin back-stepped an appropriate distance away, and Aqualad smashed through the rock with two maces of hard-water.

Speedy took the moment to fire another three explosive arrows at the huge and thick-skinned man. Brick merely chuckled at the weapons after they'd detonated. "Tell Green Arrow he shouldn't send boys to do a man's job." The criminal watched Speedy notch another arrow and boasted while spreading his arms to leave himself open. "Go ahead."

Speedy let the arrow fly and a thick red foam started to engulf Brick before nothing of the man could be seen. Kid Flash sped over to be in front of Speedy and to get a good view before commenting. "High density polyurethane foam, nice."

Robin and Aqualad were resting against the boxes' sides when Speedy turned around and the Boy wonder continued the previous conversation. "So Speedy, you in?"

"Pass," Speedy replied harshly before explaining. "I'm done letting Arrow and the League tell me what to do. I want to be considered their equal, not someone who needs a babysitter or a membership to a clubhouse for the kids. Your Junior Justice League is a joke, something to keep you busy and in your place. I don't want any part of it." As Speedy finished his talk, he slipped between two of the shipping containers and disappeared.

Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad exchanged surprised looks at their friend's behavior after he'd left.

"Well then," Kid Flash huffed.

"He really does seem to be more bitter than I had realized," Aqualad expressed, a troubled frown appearing on his face.

Robin hummed in thought. "Maybe he just needs some time."

 **Mount Justice. July 18, 2010. 11:09 EDT.**

 _Knock. Knock._

Danny glanced up from the lounge TV at the noise. Currently the ghost boy was wearing his new clothes which were pale jeans like he used to wear, along with a white shirt and dark blue jacket. His converses were still red and white. He wasn't using his disguise ring and didn't use it while he was in the Cave. At the entrance to the room, he saw M'gann there with Superboy standing behind her. "Hey Danny, me and Superboy are heading to the mission room. Aqualad wanted us to meet up there. We're going to see if Red Tornado has a mission for us."

Danny nodded and turned off the science channel program about stars he'd been watching and stood up. "Red Tornado has a mission for us?"

"Well not yet, but the others were wanting to ask," M'gann explained.

"Oh," Danny replied and scratched his neck. He then smiled and followed after them. Perhaps if something did come up, he could try and repay the League for their kindness by doing good work for them.

The three teens made their way into the mission room and encountered Aqualad waiting for them. "Morning, friends."

"Hey Aqualad!" M'gann greeted joyfully. Superboy gave his regular nod and Danny waved awkwardly. The ghost boy still wasn't quite sure how to act around these other young heroes.

 _Recognized. Robin, B01. Kid Flash, B03._

Robin and Kid Flash ran into the mission room after leaving the zeta beams in their civilian clothing. They saw Aqualad, Superboy, M'gann, and Phantom standing near the large holo-computer and made their way there.

"Did you ask him?" Robin asked suddenly.

"What'd he say?" Kid Flash blurted second.

"He's coming this way, now," Aqualad answered with a smile.

"Let's go then!" Kid Flash expressed before dashing off. The rest of the Team followed suit, with Danny taking up the rear. Once they were outside, they waited as Red Tornado landed outside of the hidden drive-in.

"Red Tornado, hey!" Kid Flash called out as the android landed.

"Greetings. Is there some reason you intercept me outside the cave?" Red Tornado asked as his feet touched the ground.

"We were hoping you had a mission for us," Aqualad explained.

"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility," Red Tornado droned in return.

"It's been over a week and nothing's happened," Robin expressed.

"You will be tested soon enough," Red Tornado replied.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Danny asked honestly. "Doesn't that mean nothing bad is happening?"

"You mean you're not bored?" Kid Flash questioned.

Danny shrugged. "Flirting with disaster has never been the first thing on my list."

"For the time being, simply enjoy each other's company," Red Tornado interrupted, gathering everyone's attention again.

"This Team is not a social club," Aqualad reasoned with slight wariness.

"No, but I have been told that social interaction is an important Team building exercise. Perhaps you can keep yourselves busy by familiarizing yourself with the cave," Red Tornado returned and started walking inside.

Wally grumbled and punched Robin's shoulder lightly. "Keep busy."

"Does he think we're falling for this?" Robin grumbled.

"Oh! I'll find out," M'gann offered and turned to concentrate on the Leaguer's retreating figure as he was recognized by the Cave's computer. "Oh oops. I forgot. He's inorganic. I cannot read his mind."

"Nice try though," Kid Flash butted in. "Do you know what I'm thinking about right now?" The speedster asked as he leaned closer to M'gann.

"We all know what you're thinking," Robin grumbled and elbowed his friend.

"Ow."

Aqualad glanced at the ground before looking back up at his teammates. "And now we tour the clubhouse."

"Well, Superboy, Danny, and I live here. We can play tour guides," M'gann suggested and looked back at Superboy and Danny.

"Don't look at me," Superboy expressed. Danny opened his mouth to reply, but Kid Flash jumped in front of him to face M'gann. Some dust was kicked up from Kid's movement and caused Danny to cough.

"We won't. A private tour sounds much more fun."

"She never said private," Robin complained.

"I don't mind helping. M'gann did a good job of showing me around before. It's a pretty awesome place," Danny commented.

"Team building, then. We'll go together," Aqualad offered. Everyone walked off to enter the cave, talking about how the League had used it before. After Kid Flash and Robin explained why the bad guys didn't know about their HQ since they were hiding in plan sight and M'gann was soothed, Superboy mentioned that he smelled smoke.

They all made their way to the kitchen after the martian had flown off to save her sweets. Robin glanced at Danny as he walked beside them. "Do you like walking more than flying?"

The boys looked at Danny as they all entered the kitchen and Danny gained a thoughtful look. "I can technically fly in this form, but it takes more concentration. Most of the time I like walking when I'm human and flying when I'm a ghost. My desires and instincts slightly switch from half to half."

"So there's spill-over between the two forms?" Robin replied in question.

"Yeah. The League says ectoplasm is bound to my DNA as a human. When I transform though, they still haven't figured out how my human half doesn't simply die immediately. They find proteins and nucleotides in my ghost half, which isn't normal for ghosts, but none of it is really organized. I can bend my body into different shapes too and not break bones." Danny shrugged. "I don't know if they'll ever really figure me out."

"I'm sure they will figure enough out with time. The League has encountered a wide variety of beings during their existence and they have many specialized individuals," Aqualad offered which made Danny smile at him.

"Yeah. I guess I just have to be patient."

The boys looked over when M'gann placed her burnt cookies on the counter. "I was trying grammy Jones' recipe from episode seventeen of, heh never mind…"

"I bet they would've tasted great. He doesn't seem to mind," Robin responded and gestured to Kid Flash who was scarfing up all the cookies he could get his hands on.

"I have a serious metabolism?" Kid Flash explained weakly.

"Hey, at least your cookies didn't come to life," Danny remarked and got some strange looks. "Mom tended to get ectoplasm in the batter most times. Eat or be eaten was a real saying at my house."

"Pfft, you serious? I had no idea ectoplasm was that versatile," Robin spoke up.

"You'd be surprised. When you see the Ghost Zone for the first time, then you'll understand," Danny explained.

"They're bringing it here, right?" Kid Flash asked.

"That's what Batman told me. He said that the Cave was a secure enough location, but also didn't jeopardize the League's HQ."

"Do you think they'll actually let us look inside though?" Kid Flash continued.

Danny shrugged. "Don't know. If you know where to avoid, it's not that bad of a place. Most ghosts just kinda leave you alone. Then again, that might be my ghost half talking, though Sam and Tucker seemed to think it was fine."

"I'm still sorry about the cookies. I'll have to make more," M'gann expressed, bringing their attention back to Kid Flash and the few rows of blackened treats.

"It was sweet of you to make any," Aqualad expressed politely.

"Thanks, Aqualad."

"I'm off duty," Aqualad declared and looked at the teens in the room. "You can call me Kaldur'ahm. Actually, my friends call me Kaldur."

Danny perked up at hearing one of his teammates real names. It was nice to hear more friendly names, rather than feeling distanced by formalities.

"I'm Wally," Kid Flash professed. He looked at M'gann. "See, I already trust you with my secret ID, unlike Mr. Dark Glasses over there. The Batman's forbidden Boy Wonder from telling anyone his real name."

"Secret identities can be really important to some people," Danny pitched in. "I mean, mine's not really a secret any more to you guys, but if things hadn't happened the way they had, I might not have ever told you I was human."

"Why not?" M'gann asked, intrigued by the admission.

Danny wasn't really prepared to answer, but tried any way. "Well I guess it's silly, but sometimes it's hard being a hybrid. Sure, my family loves me, but they aren't like me, if that makes sense. Then most ghosts don't like or are uncomfortable around me because I'm still human."

"You seem to be truly torn between two worlds," Kaldur offered. Honestly it hit a bit close to home considering how some Atlanteans considered themselves above others and _pure_ blood.

Danny laughed a bit. "Yeah. Sure felt that way when I died."

Wally groaned. "Okay, I didn't say anything last time, but can you stop saying that you died? It's weird."

Danny frowned slightly. "But I did."

"You're still here," Wally expressed.

Danny placed his hands on his hips. "It's called a near death experience. I died. I felt-" Danny froze and slowly shook his head. "Point is, the accident killed me and also saved me. Heck, some of the ghosts even pester me on my deathday-" He paused when he noticed Robin's eyebrows shoot up and then a sly smile came to the boy wonder's face.

"You celebrate your deathday like other ghosts?"

"Dude, no. Don't-"

"You totally do, don't you?" Robin asked with a grin.

"Is it some type of tradition?" M'gann asked and the others looked between Robin and Danny.

"It's part of ghost culture as far as we can tell. They give their friends, rivals, and even enemies a gift on their deathday. Enemies also don't attack said ghost on that day," Robin informed.

Danny sighed. "You read my ghost files with Batman, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"That's wonderful! When is your deathday and when is your birthday for that matter?" M'gann asked in excitement.

"January fifth was when Danny was born and January tenth was when he had his accident," Robin rattled off and Danny crossed his arms.

"That's just creepy, man," Danny expressed.

"You don't know the half of it." Wally added, seemingly satisfied with the _near_ death experience remark, and swallowed the last of M'gann's cookies. "Have you ever gotten a gift from one of your worst enemies? That has to be super awkward."

Danny chuckled a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. "Some ghosts won't give me a gift because they protest that I'm still a human. Some of my enemies also really _really_ aren't the gift giving type in general, but yeah. The best one I got was a gift from Skulker, he's the guy that wants to skin me. He gave me a plaque."

"What for?" Superboy asked, honestly curious.

Danny deadpanned. "He said and I quote, 'I carved this plaque out of man-eater's tree wood. Whenever I do take your head, you will be properly presented with great honor.' End quote."

"Ew. Dang man, that's sick," Wally declared and stuck out his tongue.

"That's Skulker," Danny replied flippantly.

"Interesting…" Kaldur trailed off.

M'gann was contemplating what Danny might like for both a birthday and deathday gift when January came back around, before she thought back to what the group could do next, seeing as the conversation had died down. _Oh! I know what we could do next!_ M'gann suddenly expressed telepathically, transitioning from her thoughts to communicating to her friends the fastest way she knew how.

"Get out of my head!" Superboy shouted angrily, suddenly panicked to feel the intrusion into his mind. It was too uncomfortably familiar and gave him a sudden feeling of being trapped.

 _What's wrong? Everyone speaks through telepathy on Mars._ M'gann asked through the mind link once more. Most of the Team either looked like they had a headache or were angry, though Danny only seemed mildly concerned and more so for the others than himself.

"Megan, stop!" Kaldur commanded aloud, trying to stop her. Kaldur calmed himself and started to talk again. "Things are different on Earth. Here, your power is an extreme invasion of privacy."

"Besides, Cadmus' creepy little psychic genomes left a bad taste in Superboy's brain," Wally teased, not noticing that Superboy was still trembling.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" M'gann started.

"Just stay out!" Superboy growled and stalked off to sit in the lounge area. An awkward silence fell over the group before Robin looked at Danny.

"You have a stuffy feeling in your head?" Robin asked and picked at his ears.

"That happens sometimes. Mostly when someone tries to bar the way of a telepath," Danny explained.

M'gann looked at Danny in surprise. "I also felt you open your mind to mine and the fog of emotion there was more peaceful when I was opening the link too. How did you know to do that?"

Danny smiled, thinking about the Observants and what Clockwork had told him. "I haven't come across many telepathic ghosts, but they exist. A ghostly friend of mine told me about it. Sometimes ghosts speak in various ways when addressing ghosts or humans. Ghosts tend to use ghost speak if they're trying to be sneaky around humans and sometimes they'll use telepathy to really creep humans or mortals out."

"Oh oh! I read about that! Can you speak Ghost?" Robin asked with intrigue.

Danny flushed red a bit. "Yeah. I had just learned about it before I was kidnapped. Uh, what do you guys what me to say?"

"How about, I'm starving?" Wally offered with a grumble.

Robin snorted and pointed at a box of toaster pastries, which Wally dove for.

"R'n hgziermt." The ones in the kitchen and of course even the sulking Superboy in the lounge heard the strange sounds come out of their new friend's mouth. Though it still held some type of structure, certain syllables sounded more like odd noises rather than letters.

"I doesn't sound like any language I've ever heard," Kaldur expressed.

"It's kinda used by all ghosts. There aren't many language barriers in the Zone. Even the more beastly ghosts can communicate with Ghost Speak," Danny added.

"What should we do now?" Robin asked, after Danny had finished his explanation.

"Well… I did have an idea before," M'gann offered.

"Sure, shoot," Danny replied.

"We can go to the hanger and I can show you all my Bioship!" M'gann expressed with excitement. She flew off towards the direction of the hanger and everyone walked off after her except for Superboy. She floated back into the room and pleaded for him to come. The clone eventually caved in and followed after her.

"Here it is," M'gann announced as she floated closer to the red and black egg-shaped blob.

"Cute. Not aerodynamic, but cute," Wally spoke as everyone entered the hanger.

"It's in rest mode, silly. I'll wake it," M'gann replied and moved her hand up towards the ship. It suddenly morphed and turned into a more recognizable shape that definitely seemed like an alien aircraft of some sort. She spun it so that it faced away from the group and then opened the back. "Well, are you coming?"

Danny's mouth dropped open and he looked at M'gann excitedly. "That is so cool!" He ran ahead of the others and up the ramp into the ship as the other boys exchanged surprised looks and soon followed.

Once inside, the ship's chairs formed out of the floor and the boys all found a seat. "Strap in for launch," M'gann offered as they were provided safety harnesses. "Red Tornado, please open the bay doors."

Before long, they were soaring over the water and through the skies. After having looked over what the controls of the ship were like in comparison to the Fenton Jet or his space ship simulator, Danny had plastered himself to the window that was nearest him and grinned as the moving landscape. "You think you could teach me how to control this thing? It's awesome."

M'gann smiled brightly. "Sure, no problem!"

"Incredible," Robin expressed as he watched the land and water rush by; he looked over at M'gann shortly after speaking.

Wally sighed while eyeing M'gann. "She sure is…" M'gann glanced towards Wally at that and he chuckled a bit nervously. "I meant the ship, which like all ships is a she."

"Fast with his feet, not so much with his mouth," Robin quipped causing Danny to laugh.

"Dude!" Wally complained.

Up front, Kaldur smiled at the shenanigans before looking at the quiet Superboy. "I may not have psychic powers, but I can guess what you're thinking. You overreacted, and you don't know how to apologize." Kaldur gave a friendly smile. "Just say sorry."

M'gann looked down at Superboy with a small frown. "He'll come around," Robin spoke, seeing her distress.

"He doesn't seem to like me much," M'gann commented.

"It'll be fine," Danny offered.

"You guys remember he has super hearing, right?" Wally asked, giving a purposeful look at Superboy. Robin paused for a moment to think before he tried to change the subject.

"Hey, how 'bout showing us a little martian shape-shifting?"

"Oh wow, yeah! That would be awesome," Danny expressed.

M'gann responded by standing up and transforming into a female Robin and then Kid Flash.

"Is it wrong that I think I'm hot?" Wally asked dreamily.

"Impressive, but you know you're not exactly gonna fool anyone with those." Robin commented.

M'gann blushed a bit and laughed nervously. "Mimicking boys is a lot harder."

"That's pretty cool though. There's this one ghost I know that loves to transform into all kinds of things, but a lot of the time he gets too caught up trying to show off his transformations," Danny spoke up.

"Really?" M'gann asked in surprise and Aqualad looked over his shoulder to be apart of the conversation.

"I was wondering about your clothes, M'gann. Do they somehow change with you?" Aqualad asked curiously.

"Yes. They're organic like the ship and obey my mental commands."

"As long as they're the only ones," Superboy smarted off grimly.

There was a short awkward pause before Wally jumped back into conversation. "Can you do that ghosting through walls thing, like Manhunter?" He asked as demonstrated the movement with his hands.

"Ghosting?" Danny asked.

"Density shifting. And No. I-it's a very advanced technique." M'gann replied.

"For ghosts it's pretty easy. Even sharing the ability to move through things with another person is fairly basic for a ghost. I guess it goes to show how different the two processes are, even if they are both a form of intangibility," Danny mused.

"Does it fell weird to pass through things?" Wally asked.

"Not really, but Sam told me that it feels tingly for passengers, but that's it," Danny answered.

Robin grinned and leaned closer to M'gann. "Well, Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall." The boy chuckled softly before continuing and nodding in Wally's direction. "When he tries it, bloody nose."

"Oh come on!" Wally whined in distress.

"Don't sweat it man. I can't count the number of times I ran flat into a wall because I forgot to use intangibility. My powers only really help when I remember to actually use them right," Danny spoke up.

"You've seriously run into walls?" Robin asked, immediately getting mental images.

"And poles, and signs, and doors," Danny replied with an unamused expression. "If I wasn't pretty durable, then I wouldn't be surprised if I was in a coma."

M'gann smiled at the more friendly atmosphere. "Well here's something I can definitely do. Camouflage mode." On the outside, the ship slowly disappeared from normal sight as they continued to fly.

 _"Red Tornado to Miss Martian. An emergency alert has been triggered for the Happy Harbor Power Plant. I suggest you to investigate, covertly. Sending co-ordinates."_

"Received," M'gann spoke. "Adjusting course."

"I wonder what's up," Danny asked with slight worry tinging his voice.

"Red Tornado's probably is just trying to keep us busy again," Robin complained.

"At least we can be helpful," Danny offered.

"Danny's right. Besides, a fire led you to Superboy. Let's check it out. You never know. We should find out what caused the alert." M'gann replied as she attempted to land the ship.

"I think I know what did it," Superboy spoke up and caused everyone to look over as a twister next to them.

M'gann tried desperately to stabilize the ship as it was sucked in and jostled by the cyclone of air. Everyone started to grunt or cry out in surprise at the turbulence. Danny panicked and instantly transformed. His ring picked up the change in his heart-rate and put up his ghost form mimic in response to his actual transformation. He smacked his hands down on the closest piece of the ship he could reach and focused hard. The Team watched in surprise as the ship and themselves all turned nearly see-through. The wind was passing through them.

"We're intangible, fly us out!" Danny shouted.

"But if we're a hundred percent intangible, there wouldn't be any matter for the thrusters to push against!" Robin exclaimed.

"Just trust me!" Danny shouted back.

"Right!" M'gann snapped, taking the boy's word for it and steered them to the ground. When they touched down, Wally glanced up at Danny as the boy retracted his power.

"How?" Wally asked in complete confusion. He was just as flabbergasted that they had just succeed in seemingly defying the laws of physics.

"It has something to do with my connection to the Ghost Zone. You don't have to worry of the physics of the mortal world when a ghost in intangible or invisible. They sorta borrow things from the Ghost Zone, like matter, light, and even oxygen," Danny explained hurriedly, before phasing out of the grasp of the harness. "We need to make sure everyone's okay though."

M'gann released the others from their harnesses and then allowed them to drop to the ground behind the ship. The teen heroes spotted the workers running out of the power plant in a panic.

"Robin, are tornadoes common in New England? Robin!?" Kaldur asked and then looked around when he realized Robin wasn't where he'd thought he was. The group heard the boy let out a playful cackle.

"He was just here…" M'gann mumbled.

Danny looked at Kaldur. "I'm going to double check the upper floors and make sure no one's trapped or hurt. You guys can go find Robin and I'll catch up."

"Understood," Kaldur replied and the teens watched Danny zoom off towards the building. They took no time before running in that same direction.

When the teens entered the lower section of the building, they first heard glass shatter above them and then they saw Robin get thrown against a concrete pillar.

"Who's your new friend?" Superboy asked as stuck his landing near Robin after jumping towards him.

"Didn't catch his name but he plays kinda rough!" Robin grumbled and got up.

"My apologies… You may address me as Mr. Twister," their opponent droned. He was a large red being with black armor accents. A tattered beige scarf was wrapped about his neck and his electric blue eyes pierced through the teens unflinchingly. Wally hurriedly pulled on his goggles as Superboy rushed forward.

Twister pushed out his hands and caused a torrent of wind to slam into Superboy as he attempted to approach. Eventually the winds grew strong enough to cause Superboy to loose his footing and he was flung backwards and into a wall, cracking it. The remaining Team members nodded to each other before jumping into battle. Wally was the next to attack and sped forward into a flying kick, only for Twister to grab him by the ankle and fling him through the back exit. The transfer of Wally's momentum caused him to slide all the way into the forest behind the building.

Kaldur and M'gann moved next, but were both blasted back as well.

"I was expecting to be met by a superhero and was not however expecting children." Twister bellowed.

"We're not children!" Robin snapped and threw a few explosive disks at the enemy which exploded. The villain flicked away the last one when it failed to detonate. It seemed like the bombs had had no effect.

"Objectively you are," Mr. Twister supplied. "Have you no adult super-vision? I find your presence here quite disturbing."

"I never needed adult supervision before and I don't need it for this!" Robin watched as Danny flew through the ceiling above him, before fading back into tangibility and landing a powerful kick to Twister's head. Twister stumbled back a bit before he recovered and nailed Danny with a short and quick blast of air. The ghost was shot backwards, and created a crater in the wall where he impacted.

Robin grit his teeth in anger at seeing another one of his teammates get tossed around and faced Twister. "Well, you might be disturbed now, but you might be more turbed when we kick your can!" Robin growled out, as most of his friends recovered and stood behind him.

Miss Martain focused and broke the pipe above the enemy with her telekinesis, spraying him with steam. All four then lunged at Mr. Twister while he was blinded. Superboy got there first and leapt into the air with a cry. Twister simply blasted Superboy backwards and caused him to collide with Miss Martain. Kaldur and Robin dodged the down teens in their own attempt to attack, only to both end up slammed into each other, curtsy of Twister's winds. Danny groaned and pulled himself up as he saw Twister exit the back and mutter something about their attempts being turbing. He floated over to his friends as they tried to get up.

"Do you think I should try to overshadow him?" Danny asked as the other teens got back on their feet. "I generally don't like taking away free will but…"

"Nah, we won't try to play body-snatchers until we have to," Robin replied as Danny nodded and phased through the wall. He glanced at M'gann. "You think you could try to read his mind, look for a weakness?"

"I thought it was bad for me to read minds?" M'gann questioned.

"It is fine to read the enemy's mind," Kaldur responded in kind. M'gann nodded in determination.

The four teens ran outside after that, only to see Danny bringing Wally back down onto the ground. "Thanks, man."

"No problem," Danny replied honestly.

"I would've thought all of you would know your limitations by now," Twister spoke up.

"What do you want?!" Kaldur demanded. Even the cool-headed Atlantean was starting to get irritated by Twister's taunts and half-answers.

"Isn't it obvious?" I'm waiting for a real hero!" Twister answered.

Robin glanced sideways at M'gann. "Anything?"

"I can't read his mind… He's inorganic," M'gann murmured in confusion, gathering the other's attentions. "Wait! Hello, Megan! Mr. Twister is Red Tornado in disguise! He must've placed himself into another android body. I mean how many red androids who like to control winds, do you know?"

"Really?" Danny asked in surprise. He wasn't entirely sure how Red Tornado worked, so he couldn't say whether or not M'gann was right or wrong. He heard some of the others start to corroborate M'gann's theory. Then something struck him, the memory of those panicked people echoed in his ears and made his core pulse slightly. "Would Red risk hurting those people though?" Danny spoke up.

The others looked at him in thought at his sudden observation before Twister scoffed and let out a laugh. He raised his arms towards the heavens, as the skies started to darken, and lightning crackled through and around the turbulent streams of winds Twister was generating.

"Uh, can Red Tornado do that?" Wally asked.

"To think, you thought I was Red Tornado, how ironic." Twister raised a hand. The buzzing of electricity grew louder and everyone's hair started to rise due to the static in the air. Robin stole a glance at Danny.

"Try to overshadow him!" The boy shouted over the wind.

Danny nodded and looked back at Twister, in time to see a bolt of lightning headed for the Team. Purely on reflex, Danny threw his arms upwards, creating a large shield of green energy. The teens watched as the lightning slammed against it and danced across it's front or reflected towards the sky and ground.

"Who are you boy? You seem to have some interesting tricks up your sleeves," Twister questioned as he tried to put more power into the stream of electricity that was striking the green shield.

"I'm just a Phantom," Danny replied as his Team ran to the left and right, out of the way of the lightning, and gave Danny the chance to drop his shield and turn intangible. He flew forward, into the machine. While Danny was no Technus, he didn't have much trouble with disabling and controlling electronics to a degree, if his trip inside of a video game was any indicator. The teens watched as Twister stuttered, sparked, and jerked before finally dying. The storm cleared as Twister plummeted like dead weight to the ground. Danny remained in the air and watched it crack apart on impact with the hard earth below. Something, seemingly a human, crawled only halfway out of the robot. As Danny landed softly on the ground, they witnessed the assumed human stutter like a broken record and sparks jump out from from between his neck and shoulder.

Superboy growled and punched the fake human's head, breaking it to pieces.

"Huh, a little redundant," Danny murmured, wondering why a robot would pilot another robot.

One of the human-robot's eyes rolled over towards Wally and the speedster smiled. "Oh! Souvenir." He snatched up the eyeball as the others continued to study the two machines.

"I can't believe I thought it was Red Tornado," M'gann murmured.

"An honest mistake. We also mistakenly assumed a good deal, to be fair," Kaldur replied, calming M'gann's worries to a degree.

Robin let out a breath as he looked at the destroyed bots. He was a bit upset with himself, he'd let his emotions overrule logic. The boy wonder looked over at Danny and smiled. "Nice catch by the way. I was just as ready to think Red Tornado had duped us."

Danny flushed the tiniest bit and Robin gasped. Everyone glanced over and saw Robin guffawing. "You blush green!"

"Ah man! Come on! What did you expect?" Danny whined as the green glow spread to his ears and neck.

"Well nice work Team and all that," Wally interrupted and pulled his arms behind his head in a relaxed stance.

Superboy was still glaring at the mangled machine in silence.

What the teens didn't know, was that the other eye from the human-looking robot was glowing red and recording the teens.

zzz

Inside of a dark warehouse of some sort, two men watched the teens on a monitor.

"Now, Brom, aren't you relieved I didn't let you wear the armor?"

"Extremely, professor, but you're not upset?" A brown haired man asked and faced another man who was wearing a lab coat and had dark-brown, nearly black hair and a thin mustache.

"I'm convinced our tracking program was operational and that Tornado was somewhere in the vicinity. Besides, you know science advances in fits and starts. Even failure can be instructive and I'd say we learned quite a lot today."

"Should I call Mr. Luthor?" Brom asked timidly.

"Not immediately, but soon," The professor replied and gave a confidant smile.

zzz

Back at Mount Justice, the team, and Danny back in human form, stood around a table while Red Tornado examined the remains of the defeated android.

"It seems as though this machine had the capacity to reprogram machinery," Red Tornado spoke up.

"So then it was after you?" Danny asked.

"It's possible, but we can't be certain," Red Tornado replied.

"Maybe you should lie low for a while," M'gann suggested, concern lacing her tone.

"You do not need concern yourself with my problems," Red Tornado responded.

"But if you're in danger," M'gann started.

"Consider the matter closed," Red Tornado cut her off as he turned to leave the room.

"I guess he'll be fine," Danny spoke up, breaking the silence.

"If not, then you can always fry any bot that comes around," Wally declared and Danny chuckled. The speedster looked at the other teens and grinned. "Speedy was so wrong."

"This Team thing," Robin continued.

"Might just work out," Kaldur finished.

Danny yawned and stretched his arms over his head. "I need a nap."

"No way! I'm still hyped," Wally expressed. "Wanna watch a supernatural horror movie, ghost boy?"

Danny rose a brow. "You do realize they're painfully inaccurate?"

"Yeah? Wanna test that theory? I happen to have brought a copy of Supernatural Horrors to the cave recently. It's next to the lounge's TV," Robin offered.

"Sure. It'll be nice to fall asleep to," Danny replied and gave a sly smirk. He could feel himself lowering his guard. They really were kinda like him.

"Ooh, someone's getting cocky," Wally teased.

The four boys walked off together with Kaldur taking up the rear, asking about why Supernatural Horrors was any different from any other horror movie.

M'gann turned and looked at Superboy who seemed to want to speak. He frowned in determination before locking eyes with the girl. "Sorry."

The female alien gave a bright smile and her cheeks glowed red.

"Did you guys play Trivia Recall?" Robin's voice trailed out from the lounge and M'gann and Superboy looked that direction.

"Yeah, Superboy knew all the answers. It was pretty crazy. I don't have a memory like that," Danny's voice replied.

"We should bring in Life sometime," Wally remarked.

"No dude, Clue," Robin responded.

"You're a detective, Rob," Wally grumbled.

"So?"

M'gann smiled at Superboy and giggled. "Looks like we're going to get more board games for everyone." The young martian then floated towards the room and disappeared from Superboy's sight. "Okay, can we get a list of some to get? There's so many I didn't know which ones to pick."

"Don't worry about it, I'll bring some from my house in the future," Robin replied.

Superboy's mouth twitched upwards before he made his way to join them in the other room.

* * *

 **Was there enough introspection?**

 **Were the differences interesting?**

 **Have I peaked your interest regarding said changes and how they will affect my semi-AU YJ plotline?**

 **Just wondering. I'm predicting that some of these changes will eventually compound over time and make more sense later. I can see now why several of these DP x YJ crossovers never got too far. It's hard to make a story around something with such a concrete timeline like YJ. I hope to strike a good balance of new original content as well as revamping what was provided in the YJ and DP shows. I just want to know how it seems so far, but I think it'll be easier to know what you guys think once my buffer has run out and all eight chapters are up.**

* * *

 **Regardless, there's my first go at an episode with Danny in it. This one doesn't have many differences, besides extra dialogue and Twister getting beaten sooner. Just thought it made more sense this way. I hope you still enjoyed it though. I'm going to try my best at balancing out episodes. Currently, I'm not positive if I'm going to leave out any episodes, I may, I may not, I'll figure it out as I go along. However, episodes will be different in some way, simply because Danny is in most and also because of other outside influences that I shall not mention yet. And of course, extra missions, between mission stuff, and such will also happen. I'm coming up with other missions, but if there's ever been any villain you wanted to see or see more of in Young Justice, don't be afraid to tell me. I may not use them, but I like to know what you guys are excited for or are yearning for.**

 **Also...**

 **Wonder how T.O. Morrow knows Luthor, hm... It was never fully explained in YJ, but then _I_ have a plan for that...**

* * *

 **Final Note:**

 **Hey guys, if you're enjoying my YJ x DP crossover and you're new to my stuff, check out Phandom Phables. It has a butch of different oneshot crossovers with DP, including Young Justice, Batman, Teen Titans, Superman, and Pokemon (sometimes continued in subsequent oneshots). I have everything from Dan, Dani, and Danny joining the bat fam, to some Vlad and Danny hero sidekick action with joining the League and Team. So if you're interested, check that out.**


	4. First Mission

**Sorry I haven't been able to get other chapters out for my other stories yet. I've been having a few little life things that are getting in the way. I will get to it as soon as I don't feel quite as overwhelmed. Weekly updates to this story will continue though, seeing as I do have a buffer. Thanks and enjoy.**

* * *

 **Mount Justice. Workout room. July 20, 2010. 21:32 EDT.**

Robin lifted a brow in intrigue as he watched Danny wave his legs and gasp with exertion as the half-ghost tried to complete his third chin-up.

For a boy that had so much power and flexibility regarding his ability set, he was not in shape. Honestly, it only made the mystery of his two forms and their transformation to be even harder to figure out. Why could his ghost half be reported to lift at least something over thirteen tons currently, though his ultimate limit was still unknown, and his human half couldn't even lift himself?

"Can you use your powers to make it easier?" Robin asked and took a drink from his water bottle. He was in workout clothes too but had kept his glasses on. He'd mostly stuck to stretching, running, and lifting while there, just so he didn't have to worry about his glasses slipping off.

"I'm not sure," Danny rasped out before he let go of the bar and gave up for a moment. He leaned down and rested his hands on his knees.

"Nah, stretch out. You're lungs will take in more air," Robin instructed.

Danny glanced back and nodded before he pulled himself up and stretched his arms above his head. "I'm not positive how my superhuman strength really works. I suppose if I could figure it out, I could make use of it in my human form. A lot of my powers require me to at least acknowledge them, then it's second nature. I do know that getting my human body stronger helps my stamina when using my powers in ghost form though."

"Huh. It's almost like it picks and choses what applies to you. Weird."

Danny shrugged and reached for his water bottle to take a drink himself. "All I really know is that Canary is going to kill me, again. She did hear me when I told her I couldn't even pass gym class back at home, right?"

Robin grinned. "You gotta play catch-up somehow, ghost boy."

"Yuck it up," Danny smarted back and rubbed a towel across his face to dry off his sweat. Robin looked over his shoulder when Danny's gaze was captured by something. M'gann was in the doorway with a smile on her face.

"Hey guys! Wally had a great idea for the Team to go camping. Superboy is contacting Kaldur and Wally offered to start packing." The alien grinned brightly. "Wanna come? We're only going a little ways from the Cave."

Robin nodded. "I just have to call home and make sure it's fine, but it sounds fun."

"Sure thing, Megan," Danny responded. The girl laughed excitedly and darted away.

Robin glanced over at Danny. "How much would you be willing to bet that Wally was wanting to go camping with only Megan?"

Danny lifted a brow. "I'm not sure that's even a legitimate question. Are you kidding?" Robin let out a bark of laughter and Danny snickered a bit before throwing his towel over his shoulder. "Wally reminds me too much of Tucker with how girl crazy he is. I bet he'd have better luck if he'd just tone it down."

"I don't think Wally knows the meaning of toning it down," Robin replied slyly.

"Point," Danny remarked and walked towards the door. "I've gotta go change. I'll see ya in a bit."

"Later, Dan." Robin saw Danny give a small wave in response before he turned into the hall. He reached into his nearby bag and pulled out his phone. He had to give Bruce a call to see if he could stay the night.

Several minutes later, the Team met in the lounge area. Kaldur entered the room in time to see Wally and Danny throwing things through the air, just to watch M'gann juggle them into the proper bags and places with her telekinesis.

"Talk about easy clean up," Danny expressed before he picked up a bag of marshmallows; it was the last item they needed for the time.

"It's no trouble," M'gann replied.

Robin walked in at that time and gave a thumbs up.

"Awesome," Danny responded and walked over to put the marshmallows with their gear.

"Let's each pick up a bag and go then," Kaldur offered calmly. The teens did just that and made their way outside of the Cave.

zzz

With a flick of a match, Robin started the fire in the center of their campsite's log seats. He took his seat on the log that he was sharing with Danny as he watched the fire grow. Superboy sat to their left, Wally was on their right, and Kaldur and M'gann was sharing the log across from them.

Danny rose a brow when he saw M'gann pop another uncooked marshmallow into her mouth. He wondered if she knew she could get a sugar rush from eating too many of those, not to mention they were planning to make s'mores when the fire got to the right size.

Wally was a bit miffed. He had wanted to have some private time with M'gann, but their outing had turned into a group camping trip. Not only that, but Robin wasn't sitting with him; though to be fair, Danny had been the one to take a seat on Robin's log when the boy had been starting the fire.

Superboy looked behind him at one of the several tents that the group had set up. Supposedly they were supposed to sleep in them. "Why would we sleep in those flimsy things when we have the Cave right over there?" He suddenly asked.

The other teens looked at each other while Danny was the one that tried to answer. "It's because it's fun. Usually you go out further into the woods and the tents need to be light so people can carry them."

"Still seems pointless," Superboy replied. Danny didn't really have a proper response to that, so the teens all grew awkwardly quiet again.

Kaldur took a quick look between all of the teens as he considered the uncomfortable silence growing between them. They had technically bonded some during their first outing, but they honestly didn't know much about each other. He knew Robin and Wally fairly well, at least well enough to know they were good friends with each other, but that was it. He had never been with Robin and Wally at the same time, until they'd infiltrated Cadmus.

Robin saw movement and noticed Danny's face had gone skyward. His blue eyes were glancing about the black abyss in a slow calculated way; he was probably picking out constellations. This camping trip was starting to backfire a bit in regards to a team building experience, they were barely talking to each other. He smiled and looked up at everyone. "Hey, we should tell stories." Fortunately, he at least managed to catch everyone's attention.

M'gann smiled happily. "Oh!" She glanced at Aqualad. "I have been wanting to ask Kaldur about Atlantis. I don't know as much about what Earth is like under the waves. What caused you to come up here and start helping Aquaman?"

Kaldur gave his own smile at the topic before replying, "Atlantis' capital is Poseidonis. It has several other smaller city-states known as Shayeris, Tritonis, Nanauve, Neptunos, Lemuria, and Crastinus. I grew up in Shayeris. It all started when I entered the military for mandatory service at the age of twelve."

"Whoa, military service starts at twelve in Atlantis?" Danny asked in surprise.

"Well it's more so because learning sorcery can take many years of practice. They don't send such young fighters to battle if they can help it," Kaldur explained. He saw Danny nod in understanding before he continued. "I eventually transferred to the Conservatory of Sorcery and made many good friends during my studies. Several years later, Ocean Master attacked the city. During the long battle, he managed to corner Aquaman. I could not stand by as my king was slain, so I decided to try battling Ocean Master. My friend, Garth, also aided me, but we were no match. Fortunately, we had given Aquaman enough time to recover and he defeated the villain. Aquaman had been interested in having a protégé much like Batman and Green Arrow had prior to him and so he asked us if either of us was interested in the position. I ultimately accepted and became Aqualad."

"That's really amazing, Kaldur," M'gann offered. Wally perked up at her praise and jumped to his feet.

"Wait until you hear my story!" Wally bragged. "You have to start with the origin of the Flash first though. The original Jay Garrick received his powers from a freak accident in Lambert laboratories-" At that, Danny zoned out a bit. He did continue to listen as Wally told them how his uncle had recreated the same accident under controlled conditions and then how Wally had attempted to do the same thing once he'd learned that the second Flash had been his own uncle. He mentioned casually how he started to receive his powers after he'd been released from the hospital and Danny lost focus.

The group looked over when they heard Danny let out a grunt due to his butt hitting the grassy earth. His legs were phasing through the log and it was definitely headache inducing to see the teen's legs poke out from one side when he was sitting on the other.

"Are you okay, Danny?" Kaldur asked with his typical collected tone.

Danny glanced up at Wally briefly, slightly nervous. He suspected that most of the teens didn't completely believe that he had died and honestly he didn't want to make things awkward again by bringing up how he died. He shook his head. "Fine. It's nothing. It happens sometimes." The boy got up a bit too briskly and sat back down on the log normally.

Robin frowned slightly, knowing that emotion often affected ghosts' powers. He quickly thought over what they had been talking about and wondered if Danny was touchy at the thought of Wally having a lab accident. From what he'd read, Danny had also had a stay at the hospital after his accident.

"Is it because of your accident?" Robin asked, trying his best to make his voice sound inviting more than accusatory at all.

Danny's head whipped around to face him with surprise written over his face. "How-"

"Detective?" Robin asked, thinking it was safe to give a smirk.

Danny sighed in resignation and shrugged. "I guess I just don't understand why anyone would risk that kind of thing." He looked up at Wally. "You could've died, you know?"

Wally frowned, both because he'd been excited to put on a show for M'gann regarding what he felt was a cool origin story but also because he did feel a tiny bit of guilt for bringing up something that could possibly be that personal, even if he still wasn't completely and entirely sold on the ghost thing. "Uh, never really thought about it."

Danny looked over him for a minute before pulling a hand through his black hair. "Yeah, I understand. I didn't think anything would happen either to be honest. I just wanted to see if a portal really could lead to the other side. I guess curiosity is a real killer."

"Is that how you became Phantom?" M'gann asked.

Danny nodded. "My parents are really great inventors, but my dad can sometimes be a bit absentminded. I tripped inside the portal, thinking it wasn't operational. My hand landed on the on-switch and the rest was just… well it went as good as you could expect." Danny placed a hand to his chest, roughly where his heart was. "Ever since then, I've had a cold weight in my chest. When I concentrate on it and let the cold seep out, I transform into my ghost half."

"I'm sorry that you had to experience such a thing to gain your powers, Danny," Kaldur expressed earnestly. The atlantean looked at Wally and nodded. "You as well." Wally merely shrugged.

Danny nodded. "Thanks, Kaldur. It's history though. I wouldn't give it up. I'd feel pretty hollow without it now."

"No kidding," Wally agreed and both he and Danny smirked at each other.

The tension left the group a bit and M'gann asked Superboy if he had any small memories about Cadmus before he'd been freed. Danny briefly thought about what he could remember seeing when he knew his heart had actually stopped, but remained silent; it was too personal of a memory to talk about yet. Robin on the other hand considered Kaldur's kind words to Wally and Danny about the teens' experiences gaining their powers and was drawn into his own memories. He wondered if they would also say sorry to him, if they would feel the same knowing that he was forced to loose his parents, his cousin and his aunt before he ever became Robin.

Both boys' attentions were brought back to the group's conversation when Superboy mentioned tonelessly that he thinks about destroying Superman.

"You seriously think about destroying him?" Wally blurted, mostly due to his own surprise.

Superboy lifted a brow. "Yes." He glanced at the ground. "I wonder if my only purpose for living is to destroy him."

"Don't think that way. You have already done so many good things!" M'gann exclaimed, worry tinging her voice.

"Indeed. Robin, Wally, and I would not even be here if not for you. You saved our lives. You have my trust." Kaldur added.

"Yeah, totally," Robin replied.

"Yep." Wally popped the P and stretched.

Danny gave the boy a serious look. His elbows rested against his knees, allowing his arms to hang loosely between them. "Just because you were told over and over what your purpose is by some psycho, doesn't make that your destiny." Danny gestured absently with one of his hands, still letting the elbow support the arm. "You have the right to choose your own fate. Being a clone shouldn't be a character trait for you, just like M'gann being a martian, or me being a ghost, or Kaldur being an Atlantean shouldn't for us."

Superboy locked eyes with Danny for a moment before he simply gave a nod and averted his gaze. Wally grinned and attempted to look alluring as he looked over at M'gann. "And you? What events led to you getting to be here with us?"

"My uncle wanted to have a young partner as well, so when he returned to Mars one time, he held a competition. I managed to win and came here with him," M'gann answered a little hurriedly.

"Wow, that's wicked. Strong and beautiful," Wally complimented.

Robin rolled his eyes but gave M'gann his own compliment as well. Kaldur and Danny agreed that such an achievement was impressive. M'gann tried to ask Robin about his backstory, but Wally quickly cut in explaining that Robin wouldn't reveal that due to Batman's orders.

By the time the talking came to a natural lull, Robin let out a big yawn. "Agh… It's getting late. I think I'm going to hit the hay."

"Sounds good to me," Danny agreed.

Everyone began to silently agree with the boys and moved to head to their own tents. Kaldur glanced at Superboy, who was still staring at the ground. "Superboy, would you like me to wait up with you?"

Superboy snapped his head up as though he'd been broken from a trance. After a moment he shook his head. "No, it's fine."

"As you wish. Goodnight." Kaldur walked away as Superboy glanced back down at his hands. He wasn't sure how much the teens' kind words meant to him. He hoped they were right, but he just couldn't get these thoughts out of his mind and he was admittedly afraid to let anyone know just how they played out. He wasn't sure anyone would understand.

 **Santa Prisca. June 19, 2010. 00:43 ECT.**

The red and black dressed persons ran through the halls and guarded the doors within the facility. Bane growled at the men surrounding him and aiming their weapons. The Cult of the Kobra had taken over his base of operations quickly. Honestly it was humiliating, but he wasn't going to show anyone that. Indeed he would focus more on how to make them pay. What he wasn't expecting was a deal.

"If you can defeat our champion, then we'll leave and you can have your precocious island back."

That was it? Something was off though, why were they letting him have his Venom back? He would've almost laughed before he was destroyed by the kid known as Mammoth. Mammoth had been a skinny kid until they'd injected him with their own serum. It was over really before it began, the green and red monster plowing into him and knocking for a loop. More humiliation. Oh, they would pay. He just had to bide his time now. He had the home field advantage and so he could wait. This island was his. This was all he thought even as he could still hear the chants of Hail Kobra from outside his new cell.

 **Caribbean Sea. July 22, 2010. 20:08 ECT.**

Danny fidgeted nervously in his seat in the BioShip. The Team was currently on their first League sanctioned mission. Danny was mostly nervous about the prospect of dealing not only with humans, but supervillains. He'd heard the various horror stories as a kid about the terrible people, creatures, and beings that the League had fought and still fights. He was so used to ghosts and their behaviors that he wasn't sure he knew what to do when faced with one of their rogues. Canary had, fairly recently, given him the advice to focus more on incapacitating opponents than getting into some type of duel situation with them. He was pretty sure he could handle that, at least he hoped so. At least it was just a recon mission, so that meant being silent and invisible. He could definitely do that.

"We're approaching Santa Prisca," Megan spoke suddenly and broke Danny from his thoughts. The others all had determination set on their faces, no doubt thinking about how they wanted to succeed at their first true mission as a team.

Across from Danny, Robin was also in deep thought as he went over in his head what they would be doing on this mission, why they were there in the first place.

The island wasn't shipping out Venom anymore even though the factories seemed to be still running at full capacity. They would be doing recon to inform the League if their intervention was needed. Two drop zones were what awaited the Team. It was the final part of the whole situation that had Robin's brows furrowed in concentration. He'd asked Batman at the briefing, who was in charge of the Team. Even within a group of equals, a leader was needed in order for things to be done cohesively and smoothly. Batman had looked over each of them and had then turned to Red Tornado. He had simply left them with, "Work that out between yourselves."

It should be him, shouldn't it? At least, he'd felt that it was kinda a given to some degree. Planning and leadership skills were just a few of what Robin liked to think were his and Batman's 'superpowers'. If he was right, then he had to show not only his teammates but Batman as well, that they could put their faith in him.

"Drop zone A in thirty," Megan spoke up.

Aqualad stood up and clicked the metal buckle on his belt, causing his shirt to turn black. "Ready."

"Switching the BioShip into camouflage mode," Megan replied.

The ship swooped low and Aqualad was released from the bottom and dove into the ocean. He swam past mines until he got to a chain-linked fence. With a single swipe of his water bearers, he was through. He leapt from the water and onto the beach before running over to a surveillance camera and connecting a gadget to the top. A few moments later he tapped his earpiece. "Heat and motion sensors hacked, the data is now on a continuous loop."

The Bioship flew a little further until it came to a stop over a clearing in the forest. "Drop zone B." Megan spoke and used her powers to pull a belt clip from the ceiling for each of the other non-flying members in the ship to use. Everyone but Superboy clipped them to their belts. Kid Flash clicked his chest logo and his outfit turned into a black version of his outfit.

"How cool is this~" Kid Flash drawled.

Megan smiled and then used her own powers to change her outfit into a more stealth suitable form.

"That works too," Kid Flash said dreamily.

Danny shook his head and focused. One thing he'd occupied himself with at the Cave when he'd had nothing better to do, like hang out with Superboy or M'gann or continue Canary's training regiment, was experiment with his powers. He'd tried duplication several times but still couldn't completely separate into two. He'd also attempted a bit of telekinesis, with no luck so far. The one thing that had been a success had been his ability to alter his attire while in ghost form. He'd guessed a while back that if Vlad could alter his clothing to not look like he was wearing a lab coat or a hospital smock, then he could at least change small things about his hazmat suit. The glowing portions of his suit slowly dimmed as his outfit changed into fully black minus his dark grey logo. He then reached back and pulled a black hood over his head as it formed, to hide most of his white hair from view.

Kid Flash nodded at Danny's transformation and looked at Superboy. "Hey Supey, it's not too late to put on the new stealth tech."

"No capes, no tights, no offense." Superboy retorted.

"It totally works for you." Megan smiled and then faltered. "As in you can totally do good work in those clothes." Superboy merely looked away while M'gann pulled on her blue hood and camouflaged herself in embarrassment.

M'gann floated down to the ground first, before lowering Robin and Kid Flash. Danny simply floated down on his own, before everyone had to dodge Superboy when he simply dropped down. A crater formed where he landed. Danny had reacted by turning intangible rather than physically moving out of the way. He stumbled backwards and faded back into tangibility as he laughed in slight nervousness.

"Knew I didn't need a line," Superboy said cockily.

"And yet causing a seismic event doesn't help us with being covert," Robin snapped from his position near a tree. He could already feel tension start to rise in him. He didn't need everyone not taking this seriously.

Megan talked into her com as she floated back down towards her friends. "Aqualad, Drop B is go."

"Understood make your way to the factory and I'll rendezvous with you ASAP," Aqualad replied as he scaled a cliffside that separated him from his team.

"Roger that," Robin responded before everyone took off. After traveling through the forest for a moment, they then had to pass behind a waterfall. Danny floated right above Kid Flash as M'gann hovered behind Superboy. Robin took point and accessed his portable computer to get a clue as to where they were on the map.

Superboy froze when he heard the cracking of a twig resonate loudly in his ears. "Did you hear that?"

Everyone looked at Superboy and Kid Flash asked the obvious question. "Is this a super-hearing thing?"

Megan glanced over at Superboy in admiration. "You do have great ears."

Kid Flash turned slightly. "Okay Robin, now what?" He found out soon enough that Robin was gone. "I hate it when he does that." The speedster grumbled.

"Better question is how does he do that?" Danny replied and glanced around, trying to find the boy wonder with his night vision.

Over their com-link they suddenly heard Aqualad's voice. "Superboy, Kid, Phantom switch to infrared and night-vision and see if you're being tracked."

Kid slid his googles over his eyes and flipped the switch that would give him infrared sight. "Got a squad of armed bozos incoming," Kid spoke up.

"Two squads," Superboy announced.

Danny glanced sideways and finished what the three were concluding. "But they'll meet each other before they meet us, we're good if we keep our distance."

Gunfire started blazing and Kid hummed. "No super-hearing required now."

"Swing wide, stay clear," Aqualad spoke.

"Yeah sure, just soon as I find Rob," KF replied and headed forward.

Danny tried to reach out and stop Kid Flash, but he sped away before he could say anything. He glanced at Superboy and M'gann. "Anyone else worried that we have three different teammates doing different things, or is that normal?" He felt like this wasn't normal teamwork protocol, but he wasn't positive of how the League and their protégés worked. One thing he did know though was that they really probably needed to try and stay together or coordinate themselves better.

Superboy only shrugged while M'gann gave him a worried frown. Superboy then looked suddenly more alert and surged towards the direction Kid Flash had gone. Danny and M'gann exchanged a glance before they flew after him.

"So much for the stealthy." Danny heard someone express, probably Kid Flash, before the gunfire returned on cue.

All the men started firing again after being interrupted. KF jumped up and ran to dodge the bullets as Superboy slammed into Bane. Superboy was able to slam the venom-user into a tree after Bane had mistakenly thought he'd pinned the boy to the ground.

Robin suddenly appeared amongst them and attacked two of Bane's goons from above. "What is wrong with you guys? What happened to covert? Why didn't you follow my lead and disappear into the jungle?"

Danny suddenly appeared in front a guy and shielded M'gann from getting hit by the man's weak attempt at a sneak attack. He then shifted to the left and used a sloppy round-house kick, dropping the goon like a rock. "This is the part where we wing it…" Danny murmured to himself. He then flew into the air to dodge two attackers and ended up flipping upside-down in the air so that he could grab both of their heads and slam them together. Kid Flash's voice rose above the commotion in response to Robin's complaint.

"That's what you were doing? Way to fill us in. We aren't mind readers you know," Kid Flash replied hotly. Kid felt frustration burn in his gut; what had the little twerp expected after he'd vanished? He noticed Megan in the corner of his eye take out another enemy with telekinesis and thought back to what he'd just said. "Or at least most of us aren't."

"You told me I could only read the bad-guy's minds," Megan spoke up with confusion.

It was then that Aqualad appeared and halted the last enemy, who was attempting to flee, with a touch of electricity.

They eventually tied up all of the goons and then tried to figure out what they'd stumbled upon.

"I recognize those uniforms. They're from the Cult of the Kobra."

Danny hummed as he floated on Superboy's right side. "A cult? Creepy." He knew he definitely wasn't very knowledgable of this group of villains.

"I'm pretty sure Batman would've mentioned if he knew a dangerous extremist was in control of Santa Prisca's Venom operation," Aqualad expressed.

"Agreed and since there's no love lost between those cultists and those goons, I'm betting Kobra came in and tossed them out." Robin added as he put a hand to his chin. "That's why normal supply lines have been cut off."

"Got it. Mystery solved. The cultists wanted on Venom so they took over. Radio Bats and we can be home in time for-" Kid Flash spoke but was cut off by Robin.

"These cultists aren't on venom. Kobra's hoarding the stuff. We don't leave, not until I know why," Robin said with conviction.

"Until _you_ know why?" KF asked a bit angrily.

"This team needs a leader," Robin responded.

"And it's you? Dude, you're a thirteen year old kid who ducked out on us without a word," Kid Flash growled.

"And you're a mature fifteen?" Robin laughed. "You blew our cover the first chance you got!"

Megan looked over at Superboy. "Do you want to lead the Team?"

Superboy shook his head no and scoffed. "You?"

"After the Mr. Twister thing? Besides I don't know as much about Earth," M'gann explained.

Superboy smiled, wanting to try and make his friend feel better. "You did alright."

M'gann blushed and then looked over at Phantom who'd been watching Robin and KF argue with a frown on his face. "What about you, Phantom?"

Danny looked up a gave a weak chuckle. "Uh no. I'm sure everyone would be better off if I'm not the leader. I just know ghosts. I'm not very experienced with human villains and criminals."

Aqualad simply shook his head as he watched Robin and Kid argue. They wouldn't get far if they couldn't figure out a workable system between everyone. They needed a leader as well and though Robin was attempting to manage that position, he was forgetting that others needed clear instruction.

After a short pause in discussion, Superboy stopped and listened closely to something he'd heard. Someone was speaking spanish and being gifted with knowing several languages, Superboy could tell they were talking about his Team and mocking them for arguing. He heard them mention something about one of them attacking them while they were distracted. Another said no, that they would give them what he needed. Superboy gave a smile at being able to eavesdrop.

"Yeah well you don't even have superpowers!" Kid Flash yelled.

"Neither does Batman!" Robin growled back.

"Duh! You're not Batman," KF replied.

"Cha- closest thing we've got!" Robin snapped.

Bane suddenly laughed loudly and gathered the Team's attention. "Clever niños, but you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest and get you into the factory via my secret entrance."

"There is a secret entrance but he's also hiding something," M'gann spoke as she kneeled in front of Bane and focused on trying to read his mind. Phantom narrowed his eyes as the martian broke the connection.

Bane laughed. "Ah ah ah chica, Bane is not that easy."

"No good, He's reciting fùtbol scores in his head in español. This could take a while." M'gann sighed.

"It's not complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Bane explained with a smile.

The teens exchanged thoughtful glances. Robin looked at Aqualad and the atlantean nodded.

zzz

In the factory, a cultist was speaking to Kobra. "Sublime master, he approaches."

"Activate the radio jamming net. Nothing must interfere," Kobra replied.

zzz

Back outside, the Team was warily following after Bane. He gestured to a cliff and Robin and Kid Flash walked forward to look over the compound.

Danny watched from a bit away. He didn't like listening to Bane, mostly because he knew these types of alliances only lasted until they weren't convenient. He'd learned that much from dealing with Vlad in the past. It was a shame that overshadowing someone didn't give a ghost access to the host's memories. It would only provide them with a giant meat puppet and nothing more.

Everyone grew closer to the edge as Robin took a look with his binoculars. "Look at all that product. A buy is definitely going down." He paused briefly. Bane started to walk away and Danny looked over to keep an eye on the man and listen to Robin at the same time. "But if Kobra's not selling to the usual suspects, then-"

"We need to identify that buyer," Aqualad concluded.

"Just what I was thinking…" Kid Flash murmured.

"Tch, yeah, you're a thinker," Robin scoffed.

"Sarcasm? Dude. A real leader would focus on getting answers," Kid Flash argued.

The others watched as Bane lifted a large boulder and tossed it, revealing a passageway. Robin and Kid Flash's attention was drawn to the spectacle as Bane looked at the group of teens. "Answers are this way."

"So, now el luchador is our leader," Kid Flash complained as they all entered the hollowed out path. Robin merely punched him in the shoulder to get him to be quiet.

Bane opened a large metal door using a fingerprint scanner and the group made their way towards what looked like the inside of a warehouse. Robin looked all around and eventually declared it was all clear before running off.

The rest stepped out and Bane looked around. "Is that little fool already caught?"

"No, he just does that," Aqualad muttered.

Kid Flash grinned and pulled on his googles. "Stay put. I'll get our intel and be back before the boy wonder."

"Wait, Kid-" Aqualad started, but the speedster was already gone. Danny scratched his head as Bane snarked about them having a great chain of command.

Up in the control room, a bird-a-rang pierced the computer desk next to a sitting cultist. The weapon released a plume of knock-out gas, causing the criminal to pass-out. Robin sat down in the previously occupied chair and started to search the computer for info.

Down below, the teens, that were still in Bane's company, watched from behind some crates as cultists moved product out.

"It's a massive shipment," Aqualad noted.

"Yeah, but they're only taking new product off the line. They're not touching this Venom" Superboy added and patted the crate in front of him.

"Maybe freshness counts?" M'gann suggested.

Danny hummed as he quietly watched. It was hard to say why they would only care about the newest stuff they were making, unless of course, they weren't selling Venom. M'gann might also be right, he had no idea what Venom was actually made of.

Superboy tensed and looked up, capturing everyone's attention. "Helicopters coming."

Back in the control room, Kid Flash wandered up to Robin while snacking on a candy bar from his stash. "Watcha got?"

"Chemical formulas," Robin expressed plainly. "I'm guessing it involves Venom but-"

Kid Flash gestured to a matrix on the left of Robin's computer screen. "This one's Venom. This one's, whoa." The boy's eyes narrowed. "The blockbuster formula from Cadmus. If mixed correctly, Kobra's new juice is three times stronger than Venom and… permanent." Kid Flash looked over at Robin. "But how did Kobra get access to project blockbuster?"

"Our mystery buyer must also be Kobra's supplier! Using the cult to create a blockbuster Venom super formula." Robin reached up to access his com-link. "Robin to Aqualad, we got- - Static."

Kid Flash looked slightly worried as Robin grit his teeth.

Inside the main room of the compound, up on a catwalk, Danny watched as Aqualad tried to contact Red Tornado, but to no avail.

"I'm guessing Sportsmaster is bad news?" Danny asked.

"Yes," Aqualad answered. "I can't reach Red Tornado, Robin, or Kid. The comm's jammed. We need a plan."

"I have a suggestion," Bane spoke up before he launched off of the walkway that the three teens were on.

"Oh boy," Danny muttered. The ghost boy turned sharply at both Aqualad's complaint towards Bane and the sound of glass shattering. He barely turned intangible in time before the massive creature coming through the window could bowl him completely over.

Aqualad and Superboy struck the ground as more cultists arrived and Mammoth let out a roar. Kobra narrowed his eyes as he approached with Shimmer at his side. "Destroy them!"

Superboy charged forward to meet the attacking Mammoth and wrapped his arms around the beast's waist. Danny shot down and started to fire bolts of ectoplasm at some of the smaller cultists, when he saw that Aqualad was having a bit of trouble. The two managed to take several cultists out of the game and then several more followed when M'gann arrived and threw several men with her telekinesis while she was still camouflaged.

Sportsmaster narrowed his eyes and threw a staff at where he believed M'gann was. She barely managed to avoid being skewered only for the rod to detonate and send her into a far wall. She landed on a large drum.

Danny growled and locked his eyes on Mammoth. A sly smirk came to his face before he dove for the beast, just as Kid Flash arrived to save Aqualad from a sneak attack.

Kobra, Shimmer and Sportsmaster's eyes all widened to various degrees when Mammoth suddenly stopped attacking Superboy.

"Ew man, are those this guy's muscles bursting through his skin?" The Team and cultists looked up to see Mammoth speak those words. Though Danny was told to be careful when overshadowing someone, seeing as their health, villain or not, was his responsibility once possessed, he figured this Mammoth guy could handle a lot if he was giving Superboy some trouble.

Kid Flash's mouth dropped open. "No way…" He murmured.

Sportsmaster nodded to Kobra and Shimmer who moved to leave. Robin dashed off after them, using the remaining walkways and rafters. Aqualad backed up as Danny, in Mammoth's body, moved forward and roared at Sportsmaster.

"Huh, I wonder if you'd have more trouble with something that actually had a sharper mind, boy," Sportsmaster taunted and pulled out a couple discuses. In a flash, he threw them and Danny swatted them out of the air like flies. He briefly heard Aqualad call out to Miss Martian to link them up.

 _Everyone online?_ M'gann asked.

 _Yeah._ Superboy replied quickly.

 _You know it beautiful._ Kid Flash answered as he knocked out a couple other cultists.

 _Mhm._ Danny responded, seeing as he was focused on blocking a jab of a weapon from Sportsmaster. He managed to swat away the weapon the villain had been using before Aqualad's voice came through.

 _Good. We need to regroup._ Aqualad stated.

 _Busy right now._ Robin declared. He faced Kobra and Shimmer on the helicopter pad.

"Batman must be desperate If he sends his whelp to task me." Kobra narrowed his eyes at the boy that stood ready to fight.

"What's wrong, Koby? You look disconcerted," Robin teased.

"This is beneath me." Kobra glanced at the girl next to him. "Shimmer, take him." Robin grinned as the girl ran forward to start fighting him. He dodged by flipping up and over her, before trying to land a kick when he landed.

Aqualad, Superboy, M'gann, and Kid Flash watched in horror as Sportsmaster managed to make a blow from his newly revealed electrified bo-staff connect with Mammoth's chest and send an electric charge through the beast. Danny's voice cried out in pain, taken off guard from the nasty shock. Before the ghost boy knew it, he was hurdling out of his host and towards the back of the compound.

Superboy narrowed his eyes and ran to intercept Danny. The smaller boy slammed into his chest and he locked his arms around the ghost's torso before planting his sliding feet and taking the force of his friend's momentum. Danny groaned and rubbed his head.

"Totally should've seen that coming. I thought I could finish this quickly…" Danny muttered. "Thanks, Superboy."

Superboy merely let go of Danny and grunted in acknowledgment. They both looked up as Mammoth turned around with murder in his eyes and roared louder than before.

 _Robin, now!_ Aqualad yelled mentally. Robin finally got the idea that it was urgent and used a flash bang to flee the battle he'd been having with Shimmer.

Kobra glared at the spot Robin had been as Shimmer approached him.

Inside the warehouse, Aqualad ordered a strategic retreat. _Strategic retreat. Kid, clear a path._

 _You got it._ Kid replied and dashed through a bunch of cultists. Danny floated into the air and flew after Kid, the others following close behind. Mammoth tried to attack the retreating teens, but Superboy barred his path and managed to toss him back into a large group of cultists. He then turned and took off after his team.

The large metal door shut and locked moments before Mammoth burst through it and rampaged after them.

"Do you think he'll hold a grudge?" Danny asked as he flew beside M'gann. He flinched when he heard another roar.

"Sure sounds like it," Kid Flash remarked as Superboy started to break down the support beams on Aqualad's command.

The earth above them collapsed, barring their enemies' path, and encasing the Team in darkness, until Danny altered his suit. The glow of that, his aura, and a glowstick Aqualad brought out, illuminated all of their faces.

Kid Flash leaned over as he tried to catch his breath and Danny rubbed his slightly sore back.

Robin sighed and turned to face his waiting teammates. "How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?"

"You do have the most experience, but perhaps that is what has left you most prepared," Aqualad offered. "Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You do not need to talk. But this team is new and a leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to follow an unknown plan."

Robin furrowed his brows in frustration. "Oh, so I am supposed to hold everyone's hands?" A defeated expression then came to his face. "Oh who am I kidding? You should lead us, Kaldur. You're the only one that can."

"Please! I can run circles around-" Kid Flash started only for Robin to interrupt.

"-Wally, come on. You know he's the one. Well all do."

"Hello, Megan! It's so obvious."

"Could've told ya," Superboy added.

"Yeah, I'm game," Danny expressed and cracked his neck. Aqualad then looked over at Kid Flash to see if he was in agreement.

The speedster finally nodded and smiled. "Ok."

Aqualad walked towards Robin and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then I accept this burden until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders. You were born to lead this team, maybe not now, but soon." He then glanced at Danny. "And I can count on you for intel on any ghostly encounters we may come across?"

Danny gave a smile and saluted. "Aye aye, captain."

Aqualad smiled at Danny's enthusiasm before returning to the task at hand. "All right. Our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving this island."

"Funny," Robin remarked. "I was thinking the same thing."

zzz

Outside, Sportsmaster walked down from the inactive helicopter and growled. "Sabotage. Robin?"

Kobra hummed. "Undoubtedly." He glanced at Shimmer. "Find the problem. Fix it."

A cultist walked up with Mammoth lumbering behind him. "Master, shall we send search parties after the intruders?"

"Don't be absurd. They'll come to us," Kobra answered dryly.

zzz

The Team ran and flew through the tunnel as they mentally discussed what they knew about the situation.

 _Sportsmaster's the supplier/buyer, but it still doesn't track. He doesn't have the juice to acquire the blockbuster formula or to get Kobra to do his dirty work._ Robin commented.

 _And neither of them have the chops to bond blockbuster with Venom. That took some major nerdage._ Kid Flash continued.

"I believe the expression is _tip of the iceberg_ ," Aqualad spoke aloud as the Team witnessed Bane walk out in from of them, blocking them from exiting the cave.

"Halt, niños. I'm feeling explosive." The group quickly observed that there were bombs all around the exit of the cavern.

"Totally didn't see that coming…" Danny droned with a tinge of sarcasm. He really needed to write down all of the villain stereotypes he'd encountered over the last two years.

"What do you gain from betraying us?" Aqualad demanded.

"I want my factory back," Bane started.

 _Kid, you'll need a running start. Danny, be prepared to make a shield._ The Team heard Aqualad's voice echo through their link. Kid took a couple steps back as discreetly as he could while Danny prepared to throw up a shield to try and spare them if possible. Everyone's faces were set with hard determination.

"So I forced you into a situation where you would either take down my enemies or die trying. If the latter, the Justice League would certainly have come to avenge their sidekicks and strays. And when the smoke cleared, Santa Prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect," Bane bragged, while Superboy and Danny narrowed their eyes at the stray comment. Bane lifted a trigger into view and went to press it, only to find it was no longer in his hand.

"With what? This trigger thingy?" Kid Flash asked, now located behind Bane and outside of the tunnel. Bane roared and went to turn Kid Flash into a smear, but was halted when M'gann snagged him with her telekinesis and lifted him into the air.

Danny laid down on his side while he floated. "I wish I had some popcorn."

"Totally," Robin responded as Superboy walked forward with an eager perk in his step.

"Finally." Superboy reared back his arm. "Drop him."

"Aah!" Bane screeched when M'gann suddenly let gravity take him. Superboy's fist connected and the man was knocked clean out. He arched slightly back, struck the ground, and slid.

"And it's a one-hit K.O. The crowd goes completely wild!" Danny cheered and wagged his finger while mimicking a bell. "Ding Ding Ding."

zzz

The night air was filled with the sounds of helicopter blades chopping the air, as a cultist approached. "The helicopter is operational, exalted one."

Sportsmaster began to walk towards the helicopter when a blur of red and black raced through the mob of cultists and knocked a swath of them over.

"Take the shipment!" Kobra snapped to Sportsmaster.

Superboy suddenly dropped down into the fight, creating a crater. He grinned at Mammoth. "Go again?"

Mammoth moved forward as Kid Flash knocked another cultist out of the way. Before the behemoth could make it to Superboy, a torrent of water blasted him to the side and kept sliding him away. "Sorry, not the plan."

Sportsmaster surprised Superboy by coming around the side of the helicopter and shooting him with a large laser shotgun. M'gann used her camouflage to try to sneak up behind Sportsmaster, but he sensed her and grabbed her around the neck. He continued to blast Superboy, causing his shirt to burn and rip.

Kid Flash took out another cultist near Kobra and snatched a cultist mask for a souvenir. A bola whizzed through the air and ensnared Shimmer, who was at Kobra's side. Robin dropped down to face the cult leader.

"I know you hate getting your hands dirty."

"True." Kobra then dropped his cloak on the ground and fully faced the boy wonder. "But sometimes, even a god must stoop to conquer."

Robin ran forward and tried to jab the man in the jaw with his knee, only for Kobra to effortlessly catch it. Robin retracted, landed and tried to sweep the man's legs. Kobra merely stepped back. Robin finished his sweep and landed on his left foot before trying to side kick Kobra's head. The man caught that as well and then delivered a kick of his own to Robin's side, pushing the boy back and causing him to slide on his feet. Robin grit his teeth in aggravation. At least his kevlar had protected him from a broken rib; he'd only have a bruise from that mistake. Kobra spoke up again.

"What's wrong, boy? You look disconcerted."

On the other side of the battlefield, Kid Flash continued to knock down stray cultists, while Aqualad touched the water he was controlling and sent a powerful electric current through it and into Mammoth. The beast of a man roared in agony for several minutes and then crashed onto the ground out cold when Aqualad released him.

"Oh sweet karma."

Aqualad glanced to his left to see Danny grinning at him and floating cross-legged in the air. "Did you-"

"Of course I did. Sports-R-Us was too busy to notice me even if I hadn't been invisible and intangible."

"Excellent."

Danny glanced over at the same time Aqualad did, when the helicopter started to fly away. Aqualad lifted a brow and saw Danny pull out a trigger when the helicopter got into the air. He clicked it and the helicopter was suddenly rocked by a massive explosion. They watched as Sportsmaster jumped out over the forest with a parachute while the helicopter itself crashed into part of the compound and caused an even bigger explosion.

Kobra growled as he witnessed the helicopter crash and then knocked Robin to the ground and pinned him underneath his boot.

"I am plagued by mosquitoes."

"Good, because this mosquito is mighty concerted over your pain," Robin quipped back and spun his legs to knock Kobra away and escape. He rolled back into a back hand-spring and landed in front of the other members of his team, who had gathered behind him.

Kobra looked over the kids before walking back into the darkness of the forest. Robin dashed forward and saw that the man had vanished. Danny floated up next to him and stuttered. "How? Where? What is that guy? He just completely vanished, liked an actual ghost."

"A grade-A weirdo that's what," Kid Flash muttered.

Robin looked up at the burning buildings and smiled calmly. "We picked the right guy to lead." He then walked closer to Aqualad and placed a hand on his shoulder while he gestured to the raging fire. "Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman." Robin let out a hearty laugh as Aqualad's face grew grim.

 **Mount Justice. July 23, 2010. 10:01 EDT.**

"A simple recon mission, observe and report." Batman expressed harshly and loomed in front of Kaldur's face. He then turned and walked down the line of teens, who were in their civvies and at attention in the mission room of the Cave. "You'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes." The teens bowed their heads and averted their eyes in shame. Batman then stopped and turned on his heel and look back at the line. "Until then, good job." The teens all looked up in surprise at Batman and then each other. "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy." Batman commented as he turned to walk away. "How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success. And how you choose who leads determines character."

Kaldur smiled and looked down at Robin, who was smirking as well.

Wally grinned and pumped a fist now that Batman had left the room. "Yeah! We totally rocked it."

"You really think so? Batman still seemed upset," M'gann asked.

Robin grinned and looked at the martian. "Trust me, he rarely doesn't have something to say about improvement. We did good."

Wally, who was still grinning like a fool, looked at Danny. "And dude, seriously, possessing that Mammoth guy and fighting Sportsmaster? Wickedly awesome."

Danny blinked and then gave a nervous laugh, shrugged, and glanced sideways before looking at Wally again. "Thanks I guess. I had hoped it could've lasted longer though. Sportsmaster is a lot tougher than he looks. I underestimated him big time."

"You just need to up your endurance more, then maybe it'll be harder to knock you out of a host," Robin offered.

"Yeah maybe. I guess we'll see in time," Danny answered.

Superboy nodded and then turned to exit the room to head to the lounge.

"Well I gotta go, see you guys later!" Wally exclaimed and raced to the Zeta beams.

"Bye, Wally!" Danny and M'gann called out at the same time.

"Yeah, I'm out too." Robin gave them a grin and took his leave. Kaldur did as well and both left to Danny and M'gann's farewells.

The martian looked at Danny. "Would you like lunch?"

Danny looked over at her and smiled. "You wanna learn how to cook a real pizza, not the frozen kind?"

M'gann's eyes lit up like a christmas tree. "Yes please! Do you know how to cook?"

"A little bit. My sister's better, but both of us learned how since neither of us really liked having ectoplasm in our food all the time via mom."

zzz

Sportsmaster stood before several glowing screens and held out a single purple vile. "All I recovered is a single ampoule of Kobra-Venom."

"Peut-etre the drug can be reverse engineered." One of the screens expressed casually. "Mais, what of our young heroes? First, Cadmus, then mister Twister. Now, Santa Prisca."

"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. But three times is enemy action, and enemies of the light must not stand," A different screen replied.

Sportsmaster crossed his arms. "True, but if the enemy can simply take control of our allies, then what's the point?"

"Ah, you mean the ghost boy?" A third screen asked flippantly. "Don't worry too much about him. He seems threatening, but he doesn't have any idea how to use his powers to their greatest potential and is not trained well." The third mystery person paused. "However, I can inform some people of mine that I have located their prize and get in contact with an old friend that just might support our ideals. He should be able to help us produce a wider variety of equipment to combat any further ghostly interference."

"Let it be so." The second voice spoke again.

* * *

 **So there's the second go at altering an episode, plus a camping trip I was inspired to include from the comic spin-off. The next chapter will be in between episodes stuff and have a surprise or two I think you'll all like.**


	5. Framework

**Still updating every week until chapter 8 (buffer ends).**

 **For the newest news on my other stories always check my profile page!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Salt Flats, Colorado. July 25, 2010. 13:21 MDT.**

"There's the fruit loop's second lair," Danny muttered.

M'gann tipped the camouflaged BioShip so that everyone could see the large ornate mansion that rested deep in the forest.

"Does he make all his lairs look like mansions or castles?" Kid Flash asked incredulously.

"The guy is insanely wealthy," Danny replied dryly.

"Only because he stole his wealth." Robin added with a frown.

"True," Danny responded, though the smile on his face didn't leave. "Too many rich guys are villains." Robin choked silently when Kid Flash gave him a smug teasing look.

Aqualad smiled and looked back at Danny from over his shoulder. "Okay, I must know why you've been grinning like a fool since this morning."

Robin grinned and cut off Danny before he could reply. "That's because Batman told him that the Fentons are visiting the Cave tomorrow so they can figure out where to put the Ghost Portal and also so they can get started on rebuilding it."

"Seriously?" Kid Flash asked. "Kay, totally visiting the Cave tomorrow. I gotta see this Ghost Portal thing."

"It'll take a few trips before they finish it," Danny explained.

"I don't care, still curious."

"Oh I can't wait to see your parents again. We didn't get to talk to them when they got to see you last, but they seem like wonderful people!" M'gann exclaimed excitedly.

"Heh, you might change your mind after a few visits," Danny expressed with a nervous chuckle. "They mean well, but sometimes they get overly passionate about their work. Jazz will probably help keep them under control though."

A sly smile began to form on Kid Flash's face as he recalled Danny's sister. Quite suddenly he felt a chill go down his spine and glanced over his shoulder only to see Danny's face right there. "Wha-"

"You weren't thinking of my sister, were you, Wally?" Danny asked and the group felt the inside of the ship grow slightly colder.

Kid Flash swallowed and gave a fake grin. "Of course not. My eyes are only for Megan."

M'gann lifted a brow, Aqualad covered his mouth with a hand to try and muffle his laughter, Robin was laughing, and Superboy was just giving the two a deadpan stare.

Danny floated back over to his chair and sat down with a huff. He then snorted. "The last guy that dated my sister is dead."

"Huh?" Kid Flash choked out.

Everyone was staring at a silent Danny, before Robin laughed even louder.

"You dork, Johnny Thirteen is a ghost!"

"Ah man, you ruined it!" Danny complained. He grumbled and folded his arms. "Dumb Robin, reading my ghost files."

This caused Aqualad and M'gann to start laughing lightly. Wally seemed to finally take a breath of air and Superboy was merely smirking.

Eventually the group saw the trees below the ship start to thin out more and more. Before long, they could see a small city in the distance. "Approaching Salt Flats, Colorado," M'gann reported.

Danny leaned over to get a good view of the town. "So someone broke into the plutonium plant?"

"Yes, from the report, we think it might be Psycho Pirate," Aqualad informed.

"And who is he again?" Danny questioned. "I've never heard of him."

"He has a weapon called the Medusa Mask. It can control the emotions of those it is used against," Robin spoke.

"It shouldn't be a problem. I could probably snatch it off his face before he even knew what was up," Kid Flash boasted.

"Perhaps, but we will need to get a good idea of the situation first. He may have hostages," Aqualad argued calmly as the BioShip landed on a wooded cliffside that overlooked the town.

The group walked out towards the cliffside after M'gann had lowered a door in the floor of the ship. They were all in their traditional uniforms as they took a closer look at the town.

"I just can't figure out what Psycho Pirate wants with plutonium. This is just not his M.O.," Robin expressed and placed a hand to his chin.

"Maybe he wants to build a bomb," Kid Flash joked.

"Maybe he needs the money?" Danny offered and floated past the edge as he surveyed the town.

"Money sounds more likely," Aqualad agreed. "Perhaps he was hired. Regardless, let's get down to the plant and get a better idea of what's going on."

"You got it!" Kid Flash replied, leapt off of the cliffside, and started to run down it's face. Superboy simply dropped off and M'gann flew. Danny glanced at Aqualad and Robin.

"You guys wanna quick lift?"

"Yes, if you don't mind," Aqualad replied as Danny floated higher and held out his hands. Both boys grabbed a hand each and Danny flew down the side of the cliff and towards the flatter land below. When they were close enough to the ground, Aqualad and Robin let go of Danny's hands. Aqualad hit the ground with a roll, while Robin managed to grab a tree branch and swing down.

It wasn't much longer before they were running up to the plutonium plant. The group gathered silently outside of the entrance to wait for Aqualad's instructions.

"Phantom and Miss Martian, I need you to both take a look around and see what we're dealing with," Aqualad commanded. "Miss Martian can send us all an image of what you find. Phantom can inform us over the link of anything she may miss. At that point, we can decide if it's safe enough for Phantom to try and take the plutonium from Psycho Pirate's grasp."

Danny and M'gann nodded in understanding before they both turned invisible. Danny phased through a nearby wall, while M'gann quietly entered through an open window.

Danny had a bit of an easier time finding Psycho Pirate, seeing as he was both invisible and intangible and was simply moving through wall after wall until he ran into someone. He found Psycho Pirate picking up the case that held the plutonium. The thing he wasn't expecting was to see all of the workers marching towards the exit.

 _Uh, found our plundering pirate._

 _Does he have the plutonium?_ Aqualad questioned.

 _Yeah and some fans. A lot of the workers are heading towards the front for some reason._ Danny replied.

 _The hallways are all pretty narrow. I'm not sure you'll be able to enter unnoticed._ M'gann informed.

 _Understood. I'm sending Kid Flash inside. The rest of us will intercept the workers and see if we can help them snap out of the trance Psycho Pirate probably placed them in. Phantom, try to take the Medusa Mask. Miss Martian, are you in the same room as Phantom?_ Aqualad spoke up.

 _I am now,_ M'gann replied.

 _Get ready to catch the plutonium if Psycho Pirate should panic._ Aqualad informed.

 _If he drops that and the glass breaks then we all might be exposed to high levels of radiation._ Robin explained.

 _Got it._ Danny and M'gann answered at the same time.

 _Kid Flash should be there to provide help if something should go wrong._ Aqualad expressed.

 _Don't worry, beautiful. I've got you're back. Errr… you too, Danny._ Kid Flash spoke and gave a weak mental chuckle at the end.

Danny rolled his eyes before he moved closer to Psycho Pirate, who was starting to move forward after he'd been admiring his prize. Carefully, Danny reached out to snatch the mask off the man's face. Just as he was about to touch the mask, his finger tips and hands faintly faded into tangibility. When he touched the mask and it shifted, Psycho Pirate froze mid-step and glared right into roughly where Danny's eyes should be. It was all the man needed. In a split second, before he could turn the mask itself intangible, Danny was on the floor in a heap, visible and tangible.

"Think you're scary, little ghost? I'll give you something to really fear," Psycho Pirate joked cruelly as he watched Danny squirm on the ground.

Psycho Pirate felt himself get flung into a wall by a psychic blast. He managed to lean against the wall and recover only to freeze M'gann with fear. She faded out of her camouflage and fell to her knees, staring blankly.

"Crap, crap, crap!" Kid Flash snapped as he dashed through the hallways. He couldn't hear anyone in his head anymore, which meant M'gann and possibly Danny were in trouble. He flew into the next room and spotted Psycho Pirate. Just as he was about to reach the man, he slowed.

"You're fast, but you're not faster than thought, boy." Psycho Pirate seemed to smirk. "I see you as an anxious person. What do you fear?"

That was the last words Kid Flash heard before he fell to the ground. He briefly thought he heard Aqualad, Robin, and Superboy enter the room before he was lost to his own thoughts.

 _I'm not fast enough. I'm not good enough. I'm just a mockery of what Flash represents. I'm a joke. Batman, Aquaman, and Manhunter welcome their protégés. Flash never wanted me. I eat and eat and eat and still always feel empty._

Robin slid down the wall he'd been leaning on as anxiety clawed at his heart.

 _The Flying Graysons were fearless, Batman is fearless, I am not fearless. Why would Batman trust someone like me to be his partner? What if Batman realizes that he doesn't need me, what if the Team decides they don't need me. I'm the youngest, I annoy them, and I don't even have any useful powers._

Superboy fell to his knees and began to physically draw in on himself.

 _I'm not confident. I didn't have a family and I wasn't born naturally. I came from a pod. I know they constantly compare me to Superman. He doesn't like me, I know it. Will I ever live up to that lofty expectation? Most of what I know, I was taught by G-nomes. What things did they really put up there._

Aqualad slid to the floor in a daze.

 _I'm so used to the water and the ocean. The land is so different. I'm heavier up here and it feels like I'm drowning in the air. Even the smell of popcorn when the others make it in the Cave is too much, the aroma is so strong and I feel like I'm suffocating in butter. It's so hard to focus with all the smells and I need to concentrate. I want to feel like I'm deserving of the honor my king has bestowed upon me, but I fear I'm not._

M'gann laid on her side, staring at nothing.

 _Earth isn't like I expected it to be. The TV series was very different. I'm such an outsider. I'm not even from this planet. I can hear everyone's thoughts. I'm not supposed to, but I can't help it. I'm so used to communicating that way on Mars, but here it's an invasion of privacy. I do have things that are private, that I don't want the others to know. When you watch TV, you can't hear what they are thinking._

Danny laid on the floor with his eyes clenched shut and his fists clenched tightly.

 _My parents told me and Jazz over and over again that ghosts were evil, ghosts are the monsters under your bed, ghosts are the boogeymen. I didn't even believe in ghosts until I died. I saw something extraordinary, but I don't know what it means and I don't know why I was spared. What if the others start to believe in what my parents used to believe, what if my parents change their minds, what if everyone does? I don't want them to turn on me. But maybe… if my future is set in stone… I actually deserve their hate._

Kid Flash let out a grown of quiet despair as his thoughts started anew.

 _I'll never be the Flash. I'll never make it. They'll… They'll know I… Wait. What am I doing? I'm Kid Flash! I have great friends. Robin is my friend. If he wasn't then why would he trust me with his real name and face? What's happening to me? This isn't me… It's…_

Kid Flash suddenly felt his vision clear. He blinked a few times and then glanced around. One by one he spotted his teammates in a comatose state on the ground. "Oh boy." He jumped up to his feet and sped for the door. _Psycho Pirate played us. I guess my speedy metabolism helped snap me out of the trance quicker. The other's won't be as lucky. I've got to get that mask!_

In a blink of the eye, Kid Flash could see Psycho Pirate's back as he walked down the stairs in front of the plant. Before the man could even think to turn around, Kid Flash dove over him into a somersault and snatched the mask right off of the man's face in mid-flip. _Souvenir!_ Kid thought with a mental chuckle as he landed and turned heel quickly to see Psycho Pirate look at him with a mix of udder surprise and also fury.

Kid Flash grinned behind the man's shoulder, causing the criminal to turn and look right into a knock-out punch from Robin. The others arrived right behind him and Aqualad moved to pick up the container, only for Danny to let out a yell.

"Watch out!"

Everyone jumped back, dove or flew out of reach of the energy blast that scorched the earth, right where Aqualad had been. The newly freed workers all screamed and fled from the area when they saw the danger.

Aqualad jerked his head upwards and saw who was jumping from a nearby building. "Atomic Skull."

"Well that totally explains why our paid pirate was plundering precious plutonium," Danny rambled.

Kid Flash snorted. "Alliteration much?"

"I count it as witty banter," Danny subscribed. He then glanced at Robin. "What's Anemic Skull's battle cry?"

Robin grinned as the villain struck the ground at the bottom of the plant's stairs. "I've got a bone to pick with you?"

"Brilliant."

"Focus," Aqualad commanded, which silenced the boys and reminded them of what was happening.

"Unfortunately for you kids, I need that," Atomic Skull growled.

 _Kid, get the plutonium and pass it to Robin. The rest of us will try to wear Atomic Skull down._ Aqualad spoke as M'gann re-opened the mind-link.

 _Roger._ Kid Flash sped forward and snatched up the plutonium case before handing it off to Robin. Robin then turned and shot a grapple towards the top of the plant, while he held the radioactive metal under an arm.

"Little rats," Atomic Skull growled and fired a beam at the grapple line holding Robin up. Danny darted over and snatched Robin and the plutonium out of their free-fall. At that same moment, Superboy charged Atomic Skull and tried to grab and throw him.

Atomic Skull growled and nailed Superboy in the face with a beam from his head and then sniped M'gann with one from his hand, blasting both back.

Danny glanced around as Robin grabbed at some bird-a-rangs now that he was on the ground. Kid Flash was trying to distract the supervillain with a few stray punches. Danny spotted a fire-hydrant and shot an ectoblast at the metal, causing it to rip and burn and release a spout of water.

 _Needed a weapon, Kaldur?_ Danny asked.

Aqualad looked at Danny and smiled before he made use of the water and slapped Atomic Skull with whips of water, causing him to stumble and then slam into a generator.

Kid went to jump into a double kick and landed it. Atomic Skull snatched the boy's leg before he could flip back off of him and tossed him. Kid Flash let out a cry of surprise before he struck the ground harshly and slid.

Danny let out a low snarl and dove, firing a barrage of ectoblasts, knocking the man into the generator with each blast. Aqualad looked over his shoulder to see the others ready to jump in.

"I'm tired of this!" Atomic Skull screamed in a rage and started doing his own rapid fire shooting of his beams. One struck Aqualad and caused the atlantean to fly back into Robin. The plutonium dropped and rolled about on the ground. M'gann barely dodged the blast headed for her, Danny was struck and flew back into the front of the building, Superboy was struck but started trying to power through the energy and get to Atomic Skull, and Kid Flash zipped away from the beam that was meant for him and scooped up the plutonium.

He was tripped seconds later by a wave of energy that Skull slung out. The plutonium flipped through the air and landed in Skull's hand.

"Finally." He then stared at Superboy and hit him with a second beam from his head. Superboy held firm for a second before he was slowly slid back and lost his footing on the stairs. He tumbled down a few steps as the beams flew over him. Skull looked up and saw the police start to arrive. "I've gotta get out of here."

"Not with that you won't!"

He glanced up and saw M'gann floating above him. She reached out and started trying to pull the plutonium from his arms with her telekinesis.

"Sorry, girly. Not happening," Skull then beamed her with a blast from his head and she had to dodge, breaking her concentration. She then had to fly out of the way when Skull lunged through the air towards a nearby building.

 _He's getting away with the plutonium!_ M'gann expressed through the mind link.

Aqualad looked up at the retreating Atomic Skull as he helped pull Robin to his feet. He then saw Kid Flash stand up wobbly and check his wrist compartment.

 _Dang. I knew I would regret eating that snack on the way here. I'm spent._

Danny pulled himself out of the crater in the wall his impact had made and barely caught himself from face planting into the concrete below. _Ow, major headache._

 _Don't bother following him. He just got into a helicopter if I heard right._ Superboy snorted and dusted himself off.

Aqualad sighed out loud. "Well at least we managed to stop Psycho Pirate and save the workers."

"He'll definitely use that plutonium to up his strength," Robin muttered as the Team came into a closer huddle. They watched as Psycho Pirate was hand-cuffed by the policemen and taken to a cruiser.

"Yes. It's best we head back to the ship and give our report back at the Cave," Aqualad expressed.

Kid Flash grinned and waved a golden mask in front of his friends. "Souvenir!"

The group then made their leave and headed back towards their parked ship.

 **Madison, Wisconsin. July 26, 2010. 15:32 CDT.**

"Oh sweetums! The main computer has received another hit with a sighting of Phantom!"

Vlad paused from his work on a small device. He glanced over his shoulder as his Maddie Hologram appeared there. "Very well, thank you dear. Could you tell me a summary of what the computer found?"

"There was a sighting of Phantom in Colorado. He was spotted with a group of-"

"Young heroes trying to stop some criminal, correct?" Vlad interrupted with a scowl.

"Yes, my cute cinnamon roll."

Vlad huffed and waved a hand. "Leave me. I need to focus on this and think."

"Yes my dairy delight."

Vlad heard the program fade out and turned back to his work. He was fairly sure he knew what Daniel's fate had ultimately been, though he still didn't know where the boy lived now. He hummed as he screwed a small plate of metal in place on the device. Vlad was also fairly sure the Fentons knew their son was still alive and well. They never mentioned anything definitive, but they seemed to have found peace with Danny's absence too easily.

"This is not what I was hoping…" Vlad murmured. With Daniel under the tutorship of the League and given companionship via their young wards, it would be much less likely that he would ever choose to come to Vlad.

Though he still knew how to rebuild the cloning machines necessary to facilitate and keep a half-ghost clone viable, after his last attempt, a fiery burning for domination over the boy had stirred within him. He could clone Daniel if he had no other choice, but more than anything he wanted to receive the original. Vlad wanted to win.

The half-ghost growled and bit and stood up from his experiment. He walked slowly towards the hidden entrance to his lab before he pulled a hidden switch in a chess board. He descended the stairs as the door closed behind him. Vlad paused near the entrance to an alcove as an eery light floated over his face.

Under a see-through case, the crown of fire and the ring of rage stared back at him. He had gone through so much trouble to retrieve both items while also using his guile to convince the Fright Knight to serve him. Daniel had completely disarmed the Ghost King during their battle, allowing Vlad to take all the spoils after the other ghosts had left and the boy had passed out. No one had seen the ring glittering near the sarcophagus. Even after all that, it turned out that they were still useless to him, for now anyway. Another frustrated snarl tried to crawl out of the man's throat. It was always something it seemed.

He passed by and made his way into the main secret chamber. He was ready to reply to the call he'd received from Luthor. At first he had been irritated when Luthor had suggested he put his trust in more supervillains. He wasn't exactly comfortable with _Luthor_ knowing as much as he did. Apparently, he hadn't been as careful when spying on Luthor as he'd thought and now both men basically had a noose around each other's necks, metaphorically speaking of course. At least he had some leverage instead of none. After much consideration, he'd concluded that he would at least need to appease them and climb aboard for the ride. If he could also find some way to keep Daniel and his family as _his_ project, then perhaps... He could use this, he reasoned.

"Fright Knight. I call thee."

In a burst of purple fire, the armored knight and his steed formed behind the billionaire. "As you wish, my lord."

"Remain still and silent, until I say otherwise. I only require your presence."

"Yes, my lord."

Vlad transformed into his ghostly half and then typed a certain command into his computer. Before long, seven whited-out figures appeared on the screen.

"Ah, Plasmius. Have you made your decision?" A calm voice spoke.

Plasmius hummed. "Yes. I have. I will aid you in your cause as will my servant, the Fright Knight." Plasmius looked over his shoulder and nodded.

"I am at my master's disposal. His enemies shall know fear like they've never known."

Vlad looked back up at screens.

"Very well. We will see if this partnership is worthwhile," a second voice responded.

"Of course," Plasmius replied as he narrowed his eyes slightly, knowing that they couldn't see facial expressions with the whited-out silhouettes in place.

"Welcome to the Light, my friend," the first voice expressed. Vlad remained still after the declaration, thinking about the future. He had finally taken a plunge into a larger and fiercer world. There was no going back, he had to plan for every move, and there could be no room for error. Such is the game, after all.

 **Mount Justice. July 26, 2010. 16:54 EDT.**

"Grrr…"

"No no no no!"

"Aw man! You totally choked!"

"Shut-up, Rob!"

"I sorta agree."

"Oh I see how it is. Well, watch this!"

"Ya missed."

"Noooo!"

Danny and Robin laughed as Wally flipped his kart right before the finish line. Their fingers were flying across their controllers while they sat on the couch in the lounge. Aqualad was watching with slight amusement, Superboy was nowhere to be seen, and M'gann was in the kitchen making snacks for when Danny's parents showed up.

"That's right, first place, eat that-" Robin chanted and jumped up to point at Danny and Wally as well as properly mock them.

"I so deserved first place! I had it for three fourths of the entire race!" Wally complained.

Danny snorted in amusement at the boy wonder who, like the others, was in his civvies. "You only beat me because that com decided to bean me with a shell."

"Excuses, excuses," Robin hummed.

"You three get more competitive than normal when you play this game," Aqualad chuckled.

"This is serious stuff," Wally responded casually as Robin tried to set up the next race. M'gann floated in with a smile on her face.

"I have some cookies and some chips and fresh dip!" Superboy lumbered in behind her. "Superboy even helped me."

The boy only shrugged.

Danny grinned. "Is it that cheesy Mexican dip I showed you how to make?"

M'gann nodded happily. "Yep! I hope I did it right." The girl placed her plates down on the table in front of the three boys. Wally of course dived into the dip in a flash, while Danny and Robin each took a chip.

Danny smiled after he'd tasted the dip. "Yep! That's it. Tucker, Sam, and I used to make this stuff all the time during sleep overs and all night movie and game-o-thons."

"She played with you guys?" Wally asked and sucked on a finger that had gotten salt and dip on it.

"Played? She owned us." Danny laughed. "Sam kills at most video games. Tucker can beat her at a few fighting games, but that's it."

"Huh," Wally mused.

"Yeah, Sam's not really your typical girl."

Robin slowly let a brow rise up above his sunglasses and he shared a look with Aqualad, who gave a sly smile.

"What's the point of even playing a game like that?" Superboy asked with a frown.

"I don't understand it much myself, Superboy. However, it is pretty fun to watch," Aqualad expressed.

Danny smiled and held his controller out to Superboy. "Wanna try? It's pretty easy and it's just plain fun."

Superboy eyed the controller before he took it and sat down with the boys, squishing Danny into Aqualad and Robin into Wally. M'gann simply giggled at all five boys being smushed together on the couch. Danny pointed to each button and told Superboy what to do and how to play and before long, the boy was playing.

Little over halfway through the race, Superboy was actually unconsciously smiling. Wally managed to win the race that round right when the group heard the computer announce incoming visitors.

 _Recognized. Batman, 02. Black Canary, 13. Jack Fenton, A03. Madeline Fenton, A04. Jasmine Fenton, A05._

The group saw Danny perk up and then phase out from the pile on the couch and run towards the mission room.

M'gann smiled. "He's so excited to see them again."

"They are his family. I can image it's not easy being away from something so dear to him," Aqualad expressed and rose from the couch.

"Finally, portal time!" Kid Flash exclaimed and dashed out of the room.

Robin turned off the game and then followed Superboy and M'gann as they made their way towards the others.

When they made it into the room, they saw Danny get engulfed and nearly snapped in half by an exuberant Jack Fenton.

"Hey hey, Danno! How's my superhero!?"

"Fine-gasp-dad-wheez-air!" Danny whispered hoarsely and the man finally dropped his son.

"Sorry, Dan. I got a little over excited," Jack expressed.

"It's fine, dear." Maddie then turned to Danny herself. "How have you been? Have you been eating well and taking good care of yourself, young man?"

Danny chuckled. "Of course I have. I haven't slept or eaten as well as I have here in at least a year."

A small frown came to Maddie's face, but it was fleeting. Jazz walked over to the other teens and smiled. "Have you been keeping my little brother out of trouble?"

"I heard that, Jazz!"

"You were meant to."

M'gann smiled and nodded. "Danny's been great at the Cave. Me and Superboy really like having him around. He even taught me how to cook some things!"

Jazz smiled and looked back at a flushing Danny. "Have you taught her how to make s'mores n' ice cream yet?"

"Haven't gotten around to it, but I will."

Jazz winked at the younger teens. "That'll make all your problems melt away."

Black Canary watched the interactions with a smile before Batman walked forward to face the Fentons better. "I have to go, but Black Canary will stay until you're done for the day. Just turn to her if you have any questions."

Everyone watched as Jack landed a large pat to the Batman's back, nearly causing the Dark Knight to stumble a step. Robin unsuccessfully tried to hide his mirth and he briefly saw his mentor give him a secret split-second twitch of his lips.

"Thanks a million, Batman! See ya around!"

The Dark Knight merely nodded and turned to leave. Jack watched him go for a moment before he looked back at the teens, his family, and Black Canary and grinned. "That's just so cool!"

Danny groaned and covered his eyes with a hand. His parents could be so embarrassing sometimes; however, seeing them again reminded him that he needed to ask Batman or the League if they had figured anything out regarding his situation, the next time he got the chance.

"Let's head towards the spare area we have put aside for the portal," Black Canary spoke up with a smile. She nodded to Superboy and pointed over her shoulder to a medium sized pile of metal and other parts. "Would you mind getting some of that, Superboy? Red Tornado should be down in a minute to get some of it too."

"I can help!" Danny expressed and transformed before floating over to the pile. Superboy trudged over as Red Tornado made his entrance from the second floor.

The entire group followed Black Canary until they made their way to the room where the Ghost Portal would be located. After he'd helped moved the equipment, Red Tornado left to go back to working on a project of his.

Jack and Maddie started to work on the portal, while Danny and Superboy helped keep the larger pieces in place before they were stabilized. Today, they'd only be working on the frame of the portal.

Wally, Robin, Aqualad, and M'gann watched and asked questions as the Fentons worked. Jazz and Black Canary got into their own conversation about the psychology of heroes and villains near the entrance to the room.

"So this portal doesn't actually create a portal-" Wally started. "In other words, it doesn't force a break between dimensions?"

"No, it actually simply facilitates the formation of a natural portal and then traps and stabilizes it to where it won't close or move," Maddie explained as she looked over their blueprints.

"How does it do that?" Robin asked.

"We feed it enough ectoplasm and then have a large enough voltage charge to stimulate a particular rhythm. The veil then opens naturally just as a natural portal would form somewhere else. Specific natural, geological, and meteorological variables cause natural portals to open. This machine simply recreates a set of variables that we've proven can cause a portal to open between the two worlds," Maddie continued.

"Yeah, I'll um, probably leave when you turn it on," Danny revealed nervously. "The portal doesn't scare me, but…"

"Is it the lights from the machinery inside?" Jazz asked suddenly. Everyone looked up to see Jazz and Black Canary now paying attention again.

Danny sighed as he picked up a metal plate his dad needed. "Yeah."

Jazz nodded and gave her brother a loving smile. "It's okay Danny. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Danny shrugged. "I guess."

"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Maddie expressed.

Danny looked slightly uncomfortable. "It's okay. We both made mistakes, let's just leave it at that. Fair?" He gave his mother and father a smile and she nodded.

"Fair."

The talk turned back to things about the Ghost Zone, which Danny was actually better at answering than his parents, though he didn't know a lot.

After a few hours of talking and working on the portal, the Fentons finally finished for the day. Danny and Jazz hung back as everyone moved towards the mission room again. When everyone reached the room, they said their goodbyes to the Fentons. Robin and Wally announced they were staying for the night to continue their racing game. Aqualad unfortunately had a prior engagement, but hoped they had a good time.

Just before the Fentons and Black Canary left through the zeta beams, Danny locked eyes with Jazz and let out a sigh. It was time to trust Black Canary more, she'd gotten the seal of approval from Jazz apparently. His sister had been worried that he needed someone available to talk to, since she was no longer down the hall from him. He'd ask Black Canary about it later.

"Hey come on! Robin found a fourth controller in his bag!" Wally expressed, snapping Danny out of his thoughts. Danny smiled.

"Sweet!"

"Can we go back to that same track again?"

"Did you like the mountain or something, Supes?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Do you want to learn how to play, M'gann?"

"Oh, I don't know, Danny."

"It's fun and we can rotate turns so it's fair."

"Um, okay!"

It wasn't long until all five teens voices were echoing through the Cave. Laughter exploded out of Danny, Robin, and M'gann when Wally tried to cheat by pushing Superboy off the couch and the taller boy shoved the speedster to the floor without any effort.

 **Belle Reve Penitentiary. July 27, 2010. 12:16 CDT.**

"Here you go, Showenhower-" A guard spoke before shoving the man into the large common area of the prison.

Frederich Isak Showenhower growled and spun to face the guards as they locked the gate. "It's Freakshow! Do you hear me, you simpletons!?"

"You're an angry little man, aren't cha?"

Freakshow looked behind him with irritation before he realized he was staring at a chest. He gazed upwards and locked eyes with a large red skinned man with light dreads. "What do you want?"

"Just curious," Brick muttered.

"Don't mind him, Brick. He's just a petty thief," a large man with blond hair, near a group of other inmates, spoke up.

Freakshow grit his teeth. "A petty thief? I am the ringmaster of the other side! A dark maestro!"

Blockbuster let out a noise that sounded particularly like a snort.

"Sure thing, buddy," Brick scoffed and shoved the thin anemic man. Freakshow let out a cry of surprise as he toppled backwards. The entire room erupted into laughter as Freakshow steamed. If it wasn't for the GiW being shut down, he wouldn't even be here. No. If it wasn't for that wretched Phantom, he wouldn't have even been caught.

 _Lydia… Come and free your master soon._

 _Yes, Frederich, my dear. I'm coming. This place does not have a cursed shield to separate us, my master._

 _Excellent. They will regret not taking us seriously. All of them._

 _I'll be there in a moment. I must get your belongings first._

 _Yes. I'd rather not be without them._

"Hey! Clown-man!"

Freakshow snapped his head up at Brick who was sneering at him. "I'm a ringmaster, not a lowly clown." Freakshow growled out.

"Ho ho!" Brick called out to the snickering inmates before he leaned closer with a dark look on his face. "I'd watch my mouth if I was you, Clown-man." Brick stressed.

Freakshow suddenly felt a cold gust of air behind him and from the reaction of the guards and inmates, he could tell Lydia was behind him. The thundering of footsteps sounded and a few alarms blared a moment after his inhibitor collar was phased off of him, preventing him from being disciplined.

"Thank you, my dear." Freakshow kept his eyes on the surprised inmates as Lydia held out his items.

"Of course, Master Freakshow. Shall we?" Lydia asked quietly.

"Let's." Freakshow responded right before he and Lydia vanished in front of everyone's eyes, barely avoiding the arriving guards.

Icicle Sr. stayed were he was with his eyes narrowed while Captain Cold snorted. "Well I'll be damned."

"Was that a ghost? They're green sometimes, right?" A random inmate asked.

Brick only growled as the guards started ushering them all back to their cells so they could investigate Freakshow's escape.

zzz

After about an hour of traveling silently while invisible to the naked eye, Freakshow and Lydia arrived at empty building that was blindingly white.

Freakshow scowled and looked at his ghostly assistant. "Can you check and see if the shield is still up?" Lydia nodded and flew towards the building and nothing happened. Freakshow smiled. "Wonderful. They must've moved all their secret government watchamacallits out…" He waltzed forward and moved around the back of the compound. Parked beside one of their, probably mostly empty, warehouses was his precious train. He sighed. That train had been in his family for generations and had come all the way over from his parents' home-country.

"Master?"

"Unfortunately we can't travel around like we used to." Freakshow grit his teeth with absolute fury. "Those wretched kids. I may not know them, but I can track down that Phantom. He belongs to _me_." He walked forward and hopped up onto the train which was dusty and it was obvious that it hadn't been touched in a while. "Fools, thinking there's nothing inside of any merit. How dare they let it gather dust."

The man walked inside and took the time to change out of his prison clothes and into his typical clothing, plus his bowler hat and trench coat. He grumbled as he looked in the mirror and saw that his blue eyes were showing; they had taken his red contacts from him seeing as they were purely for aesthetics. He then turned to a wall in the engineer's room and pointed. "Pull the items out of the wall, won't you, Lydia?"

The ghost nodded and pulled out a large satchel before passing it to her master. "Here, sir."

"Yes…" Freakshow cooed. He reached inside and pulled out a couple of bottles from the menagerie of things within. One had several rocks of a red crystal that looked raw and unpolished and the other had a mercury looking substance that was a golden color. He put his hands down on the table he was using and stared at the two bottles intently. "I don't have enough to recreate another staff… however…" He glanced purposefully at the liquid on the right. "I don't really want another staff." Slowly he took the corks out of the bottles. He then poured the mystery liquid inside the bottle that held the red stones. The mixture started to fizz and boil as Freakshow raised his hands above the bottle. Lydia understood the signal and slipped inside her master.

"Yollw lu Rhrh, hglmvh lu nztrx, svzi nb dliwh zmw wvorevi gsv kldvi gl xlmgilo wvzgs fmgl gsrh ivorx R luuvi. Gsrh R xlnnzmw." (Blood of Isis, stones of magic, hear my words and deliver the power to control death unto this relic I offer. This I command). Freakshow and Lydia's voices murmured darkly and in synchronization. The boiling stopped and the red liquid started to pulse a faint red glow that eventually turned into a slow swirling motion. Lydia came out from Freakshow's body and the man scowled. He shouldn't need the help of a ghost… but at least it was only Lydia. He looked down at the bottle and stared for a long time.

"Lydia. If something should happen to me, you do remember what I told you, right?"

"Yes of course master."

Freakshow nodded slowly before he narrowed his eyes and picked up the bottle. In one quick movement he swallowed the mixture. The anemic man let out a sigh after finishing the bottle.

Suddenly, a strangled cry came from Freakshow's parted lips as he slowly slid to the floor. A scream of pain echoed over the landscape and moments later red light streamed out from the seams in the train.

* * *

 **Whelp there you go. A little in-between stuff. And, Freakshow, Freakshow, what have you done? Looks like Belle Reve can hold back Superman, but their walls still have their weaknesses.**

 **And Vlad... so he actually has a fairly complex reason for joining the Light other than (ooh hoo hoo I'm evil!). I want to ramble here to explain myself, but instead, I'm going to zip my lip and see if I can manage not to spoil my own story. Lol. Just know I'm not making Vlad full evil nut in this (I mean he'll be close, but he'll actually have REASONS, sorta like other villains that are smart. Plus, he kinda didn't want to join the Light, but chose his poison)**

 **And yes, hm? He has the crown and ring? But he's only shown holding the crown at the end of the episode... Oh, he found it in the rubble after it had been dislodged (Seeing as we never got a close up of the King's hand while he was being shoved back into the sarcophagus) during Danny's battle with the King? Okay, but the Observants/Clockwork surely wouldn't let him just...**

 **Answer: Only time will explain all things...**

 **Hoped you liked it. Until next time.**


	6. Manipulation

**Still updating every week until chapter 8 (buffer ends). Sorry for being a tiny bit late.**

 **For the newest news on my other stories always check my profile page!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Mount Justice. July 30, 2010. 15:41 EDT.**

"So she doesn't eat anything that has a face?" M'gann asked as she watched Danny closely.

Danny smirked as he put out the hummus next to the chips and vegetables. "Yeah and Tucker's a meat freak."

"Is that why we're making two different types of snacks?" M'gann questioned as she hovered near him.

"Yep, just in case we need them," Danny replied and slid the vegetarian snacks into the fridge. He paused and M'gann quickly took notice of her friend.

"Danny?"

"I'm just happy. It's weird." Danny leaned against the counter in the kitchen and sighed. "I do miss my family, my friends, my home, but here I'm more relaxed than I've been in a long time. After I got my powers, I didn't really know what to do. Everyone was fearful of ghosts and it seemed like the government was just fine with destroying them. A part of me thought the League would agree with them. I was just so unsure of what would happen to me. I constantly had to keep one eye open and I didn't even choose to get those powers. I didn't really ask for it. But now I finally have more friends and I get to help people. Not only that, but there's the chance that I'll get to go home as soon as we figure out why I ended up at Cadmus and the League wants to help me. Minus my friends and sister, I've never had back-up like that before."

M'gann was clasping her hands before she gave Danny a big hug. "I'm happy that you're doing well."

Danny chuckled a bit and hugged the girl back. "Thanks M'gann. Who would've thought that getting kidnapped would've been the best thing to ever happen to me?"

"Don't joke like that," M'gann admonished as they pulled apart. Superboy walked in at that moment.

"Are they coming soon?" Superboy asked.

Danny nodded to him. "Yep."

 _Recognized. Tucker Foley, A06. Samantha Manson, A07._

"It's Sam!"

Danny perked up at the sound of the computer calling out his friends' names and Sam's indigent screech. "Pfft, better ask the computer to change Sam's name before she tears the thing apart."

Superboy rose a brow. "It's made out of titanium."

"She'd find a way," Danny replied briskly and walked out of the kitchen. The two teens heard his friends greet him.

"Hey dude! This place is killer."

"That computer better not-"

"Don't worry, Sam. I can fix it later. You just have to tell it."

M'gann gave Superboy a smile before she floated out to greet them as well. Superboy waited a moment before following. He ended up standing behind Tucker, who yelped when he noticed him.

"That's Superboy, Tuck."

Tucker looked up slightly to meet Superboy's eyes. "Oh, well cool! Nice to meet ya. Are you Superman's son?"

At that, Superboy's demeanor became tense. "No."

M'gann frowned at Superboy out of worry, while Danny nudged Tucker and gave him a look.

"Oh! Sorry."

"Just because some of them share names doesn't immediately mean they're related," Sam expressed. "It's a codename, not a real name."

Danny winced internally, knowing that Superboy hadn't actually come up with a name for himself yet, before he patted Superboy's shoulder. The taller boy gave a grunt as Danny walked forward to embrace each of his two friends. "We have some snacks and Robin came by and dropped off Brawling Brothers. He's trying to see if we can have a D.O.O.M system in here, but it might be a while. We also have Krazy Karts."

"Ooh Brawling Brothers," Tucker spoke up.

"You would want to pick that one, since you can't win at the others," Sam teased.

Tucker snorted.

Sam looked at Danny and the other teens. "Just a heads up, we have to get back to Amity by six o'clock."

"Got it," Danny replied with a smile.

Just as the group was going to head towards the lounge area to hang-out, the computer sounded.

 _Recognized. Robin, B01. Aqualad, B02. Kid Flash, B03._

Kid Flash sped up to them. "Something's happened. Apparently Rob says we have a mission or something."

"Aw man," Tucker groaned slightly as Aqualad and Robin walked up.

Danny looked at the two. "What happened?"

Robin glanced briefly at Sam and Tucker before looking at Danny again. "Actually, it's one of yours."

Danny rose a brow. "Huh?"

Robin activated the main computer. Tucker started to drool at the high-end technology, as the boy wonder activated the communication function. Batman was soon on the screen. He glanced and saw Sam and Tucker. "Unfortunately, you're going to have to cut your visit short."

"Robin said it was one of Danny's enemies. Maybe we could give you some info," Sam offered.

Batman was silent for a moment before he finally responded. "You can monitor the computer and give out information. Don't leave the Cave except through the zeta beams and head home at the time we agreed to, understood? If you can't follow those instructions, then head home now."

Sam scowled slightly at the commanding attitude before a hand rested on her shoulder. She glanced up and was met with Danny's eyes. "He's just trying to keep everyone safe, Sam."

Sam let out a long sigh and folded her arms. "Fine."

"Can I?" Tucker murmured in reverence.

Robin smirked. "Sure. I'm guessing you like computers?"

"Computers are my life," Tucker replied and waltzed up to stand next to Robin.

"Maybe that's why you can't get a girlfriend," Sam remarked dryly.

"No. That's because they're intimidated by my charisma and confidence."

Sam groaned until everyone's eyes looked up at the picture Batman was showing them.

"Frederich Isak Showenhower, also known as Freakshow," Batman spoke.

"His name's really Frederich?" Danny asked in surprise.

"He has blue eyes?" Tucker added.

"What, you thought he actually had red irises?" Sam questioned.

"That dude seriously needs a tan, or iron supplements," Kid quipped.

Batman cleared his throat and brought everyone's attention back to the task at hand. "He was being held at a Guys in White facility until it was shut down. He was transferred to Belle Reve Penitentiary, where he quickly was able to escape-"

"Lydia-" Danny, Sam, and Tucker commented in sync.

"Does the penitentiary have a ghost shield?" Danny questioned.

"No, they don't," Robin expressed.

"Then Lydia came and broke him out. She was probably waiting somewhere until she somehow knew he'd been transferred. They probably had a ghost shield at the GiW facility so she couldn't get inside and free him," Danny explained.

"So this ghost literarily waltzed in there and freed her master and waltzed right back out?" Kid asked.

"Yeah, pretty much. There was nothing stopping it if they didn't have a spherical ghost shield," Sam informed.

"A version that continues the arc of energy into the earth?" Robin probed.

"Yeah, if not, a ghost can just go through the ground and come up under the shield. Most shields also aren't strong enough to sense weaker ghosts or halfas in their human form. It takes so much power to run them unless they're attached to the Ghost Zone, that it can't be designed to be delicate enough to sense and deflect any ghost under level two or a human form of a halfa, like I said," Danny continued.

"Regardless, he escaped and we need the Team to track him down. We'll inform the Penitentiary that they'll need to have a ghost shield installed. Obviously they weren't prepared for a criminal with connections to ghosts," Batman spoke. "They'll have a powerful enough generator to handle one."

"Understood. We'll track him down," Aqualad expressed.

"Good. Batman, out."

"So, now we have to figure out where our anemic kleptomaniac of a clown went to," Kid muttered.

"He's actually a ringmaster," Danny informed.

"Was." Sam added.

"Specifically a ringmaster?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, he had this staff that had an orb on it. It controlled ghosts and made them obey his commands and preform for his guests-" Danny started.

"So far he's only been listed in the database as a armed robber. He forced you and others to steal for him, right?" Robin asked.

Danny let out a brief sigh and nodded. "Yeah. Good news is that his staff is broken, so he doesn't have that anymore."

"Do you think he would let that go though?" Sam asked honestly. "The guy is literarily a control freak. He called to you like you were a dog."

Danny shifted uneasily. "True. He really has something against ghosts."

The other members of the Team were frowning at the admission from Sam, when Tucker suddenly spoke up.

"Hey dudes? I think I got something," Tucker expressed as he typed on the computer.

"Nice, Tuck. What is it?" Danny asked as they all turned to look at Tucker and the information on the screen.

"The other night, there were reports of strange lights… Here." Tucker pointed to a place near the middle of Indiana. "Just a tad south of Amity Park. I looked up what was there that would be relevant and apparently the main Guys in White compound was there." He looked back at them. "Just sounded like a weird coincidence to me. He was held there, right?"

Robin hummed and then perked up. "Wait, his train and other items were confiscated by the GiW, right?" He moved forward and took a place beside Tucker as he typed on the computer. "Here, their files say that they repossessed his train. Freakshow went on record saying that it's been in his family for a long time."

"Sounds like Freakshow took the time to visit," Danny murmured and glanced at his Team.

"Indeed. Let's head out and investigate. Maybe we can decipher where he's headed next," Aqualad offered. He looked at Tucker and Sam. "You'll hold down the fort as they say. We'll be in contact if we need your assistance."

"You got it!" Tucker expressed.

Sam looked over the group and then Danny. "Stay safe."

Danny smiled. "Yep."

The Team ran or flew towards the hanger to get into M'gann's BioShip, leaving the two teens behind in the mission room.

"He's really happy here, isn't he?" Sam murmured.

"Well yeah, why wouldn't he be? He's got a support system, he's away from our cliquey school, he's made some new friends, including a hot looking martian, and he's helping people and fulfilling his obsession more regularly. Plus he's being appreciated for his help more," Tucker chuckled. "Honestly, I kinda _wish_ I-"

He saw Sam give him a stare.

"Retracting that statement and rewording… I would be happy to be here too. It's awesome."

Sam sighed. "Yeah. Me too. I miss him."

"Yeah, but it's still a pretty good compromise," Tucker responded before he slyly glanced at the girl, who was still staring at the hall the teens had disappeared down. He shook his head before he heard her speak.

"What if he doesn't need us anymore?"

Tucker paused from the game of solitaire he'd started playing on a part of the main computer screen. It was kinda a good question. "He'll always need us. We're best friends."

"Yeah, but now he has other friends that happen to be heroes like he is."

"So? Do you honestly think Danny would ever abandon anyone?"

"Well, no."

"Then it's no problem. I mean maybe he doesn't need us for patrol anymore and maybe we don't see him as often as we used to, but that happens anyways in life. Point is, we're still friends, we still can laugh about the same things together, and we can still be a part of his life. Not to mention he might be able to come home someday," Tucker rambled.

Sam looked at her friend and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks Tuck."

"That's what friends are for… and wingmen."

"Tucker…"

"Don't hurt me."

 **Abandoned GiW Facility. July 30, 2010. 17:41 CDT.**

"Man those guys really were idiots. What was their pre-requisites, must want to sling guns and weapons around, must not have sympathy for human or sentient life, and are not required to have an IQ above eighty? I mean why would they not keep the ghost shield up?" Danny complained with irritation.

"Beats me," Superboy muttered as they made their way around the compounds.

"I can only guess that they moved everything they considered confidential, out, and left behind anything that they didn't see the need to guard," Robin spoke up.

The Team reached the train and entered, splitting up to check different sections of it.

Robin walked through an area that looked like a car full of cages. Green stains were cast about here and there. The overall sight and state of things made him frown. He happened to glance up and see a flyer plastered to one of the walls. _"Where your nightmares come alive...where the clowns never smile..."_ In addition to knowing a bit about what Danny had experienced here... Circus Gothica was a perverse version of what a circus should and could be in his mind. Kid Flash's voice suddenly broke the silence in the mind-link at that moment.

 _Holy cow. This guy has a freaking room of torture devices. Geez… I'm officially creeped out._ Kid Flash muttered over the mind link as he walked through the room. He bumped into a coffin filled with sharp spikes and yelped mentally.

Robin snickered. _You still whelmed, KF?_

 _Shut-up. You're not looking at this stuff, so you can't talk._

 _Well, his Circus was called Circus Gothica._ Danny responded with a frown. He was currently staring at a coiled up tight-rope. He shook his head and continued into the next car with intangibility.

After a moment, everyone continued to report that they weren't finding anything, until Aqualad walked into the engineer's cabin. _Report to the engineer's cabin. I think I've found something._

Before long, then team joined their leader in the engineer's room. Aqualad turned and gestured to two bottles on the floor. Robin squatted and picked one of them up to look at it. "Looks like they're out of place." He slowly wiped a finger over the glass. "They don't have any dust on them like the rest of the train's items."

Danny rubbed his temple and continued to frown. Kid Flash hummed. "So then he brought them here?"

"Or I guess he might have hidden them in the wall," Danny offered. The others looked at him and Danny shrugged. "Ghosts tend to do that. I do that. Hiding things in the walls is really nifty and gives you extra storage space. If they didn't X-ray the walls, then they wouldn't have found those items. It also would've kept them safe from dust."

Superboy looked up when Danny rubbed at his temple again. "Are you okay?"

Everyone's attention went back to their ghostly friend. Danny sighed. "I'm not sure. For some reason I just feel uneasy in this cabin."

"The wall of emotion around your mind is acting a bit erratic," M'gann expressed in still worry.

"Maybe this place just creeps me out or something…" Danny murmured.

"A place creeps a ghost out?" Kid Flash grinned, making Danny swat at him. The speedster dodged of course.

"You'd be surprised." The ghost added.

"Hmm…" Robin glanced back down at the two bottles and saw that one of them still had something in it. "Wait a minute. Something's still in one of them."

"Does your portable computer have-" Aqualad started.

"A chemical analyzer? You better believe it!" Robin interrupted with a wicked grin. He reached for his utility belt and pulled out a q-tip. He reached into the bottle and soaked up the slightly golden tented material and then held it under a small scanner that had popped out of his arm computer. Everyone was surprised when they saw the analyzer spit out an error message.

"Curious. It is not a chemical that's been researched," Aqualad murmured.

Robin frowned and pulled out a small ziplock to put the sample in. "We'll take it with us." He glanced up at Aqualad. "It's six forty six back in Happy Harbor and nearly six here, so I say we send a message to Sam and Tucker to see if they can figure out anything about this material. There's something about it that's familiar, but I can't remember it."

"Understood. I'll send them a message," Aqualad clicked his earpiece and turned away from the group while he spoke with the two teens still at the Cave.

Kid Flash hummed and leaned down to pluck the second bottle up; he remained squatted next to Robin as he scrutinized it. "I wonder what was in this one. It's completely empty."

"Who knows. Hopefully figuring out the contents of the first bottle will give us a better clue," Robin offered and stood up. Kid Flash pocketed the second bottle as a souvenir and then followed behind his friend as Aqualad turned to face the Team.

"They've got about twenty minutes to find out as much as they can, after that, we're on our own."

"They'll have to get home soon," Danny spoke.

"Now what?" M'gann asked.

"There is not much else we can do until we get another clue about his whereabouts," Aqualad answered.

Quite suddenly they all simultaneously got a communication alert on their comms. _"Batman to the Team."_

"Go ahead," Aqualad responded.

 _"We just got an alert that Freakshow is in Jump City and has attacked a museum there. The police haven't been able to enter because of the ghost guarding the entrance. Inform us if things get out of hand."_

Aqualad frowned briefly but continued in a neutral tone. Kid Flash folded his arms in a slight huff while the others were simply quiet about their irritation. "Understood. We'll make our way there immediately," Aqualad answered and then looked at his teammates when the communication ended.

"Inform us if things get out of hand?" Kid Flash asked in frustration.

Aqualad looked towards the direction the Bioship was and choose to not answer, seeing as it didn't really need one. "Let's go."

The six teens ran and flew off towards the BioShip again. They strapped in and were soon making their way to the west coast.

 **Jump City. July 30, 2010. 19:52 PDT.**

 _"The only thing we could find was something Sam pointed me towards."_ Tucker offered before Sam took over.

 _"I figured that something not accessible to the boy wonder would be something of a slightly more mythological nature."_

Danny smiled. "Let me guess, something you read about from Skulk and Lurk or your Gothic websites?"

 _"Ah yes. You know me too well. All joking aside, I think it might be Alkahest."_

Robin snapped his fingers. "Right! I remember now. I knew it was something to do with the mercury-like appearance that was familiar."

 _"Yeah, there isn't much anywhere about it, but there are a few obscure mentions of it being a golden color."_

"Can we back track a bit? What's Alkahest?" Danny asked.

"It's the mythological liquid that supposed to be a universal solvent," Robin replied.

"Oh," Danny replied.

"So Freakshow dissolved something, but what?" Kid Flash asked.

 _"Apparently it was whatever was in that second bottle you guys found,"_ Tucker expressed.

"I suppose we will have to piece the rest together ourselves. Hopefully it is nothing to be concerned about," Aqualad spoke up. "Thank you both for your aid. Have a safe trip home."

 _"No problem."_ Both teens replied.

"Sorry we couldn't hang out today, guys. Maybe next time," Danny responded.

 _"Don't worry about it, man. We're your friends whether we're goofing off or kicking butt."_ Tucker chuckled.

 _"Yeah, don't worry Danny. All of you stay safe."_ Sam commanded.

 _"Later, bro!"_ Tucker called out before the communication cut off.

Aqualad looked at Danny. "Phantom. I'm going to need you to focus on Lydia. Unfortunately, your parents at Axion and S.T.A.R. Labs haven't been able to finish all the equipment that the League has ordered. We're currently at risk of being overshadowed by Freakshow's assistant."

Dany nodded fiercely. "You've got it."

"I've just got to know, are he and she… ehhhh…" Kid Flash trailed off.

"Uck, defiantly dis-gusting, heavy on the dis," Robin muttered under his breath.

"Beats me. I think there's something between them, but I don't know if it's anything like that. She's not controlled by his staff. She obeys him due to her own free will, apparently. Maybe they knew each other when she was alive," Danny answered and shrugged.

"We're almost there," Superboy spoke up suddenly after being so quiet. His gazed was narrowed at the scene below their ship. Police cars were lined up outside of the museum and Lydia was warding them away with barrages of tiny tattoo ghosts, that could way too easily carry away their guns. Whenever one tried to get too close, Lydia herself would blast at them; most were able to dodge, though there did seem to be one that hadn't gotten away in time, causing him to be injured.

M'gann landed the ship on top of a building before the group made their way to the street.

 _Phantom, you're up._ Aqualad expressed as they passed the police line and neared Lydia.

 _Got it. This is my element._ Danny surged forward and fired several shots at the tattooed ghost woman. "Hey, Lydia! Didn't I warn you last time that you both need to get your act together!?"

 _Pfft. Dude…_ Kid Flash chuckled, feeling a bit of confidence rise within him, as the others sped into the museum and left Danny with Lydia. They could handle this, besides, Danny had fought ghosts like that lady before and Freakshow was just some dude. Then again, that's probably why they were sent to take care of him in the first place.

 _We should compare notes sometime._ Robin expressed in response and everyone could just sense the mental mischievous grin on his face.

After that, Danny merely smiled and focused on fighting Lydia. She swiped at him a couple times, before she grew impatient and sent a handful of her tattoos towards him.

"Ack!" Danny yelped when they all started to swirl around him. He growled slightly and pulled himself inwards, before letting out a wave of green energy and blasting them away. They evaporated as they were flung off course or struck the ground, only to start slowly fading back onto the ghost's skin. "So there's a cool down sorta…" He murmured to himself as she yelled and fired a beam at him. Danny strafed to the left and fired several blasts before diving into the earth.

Lydia growled and looked around, rapidly scanning her surroundings for the ghost boy. Her hood suddenly fell over her face. Then she was kicked in the back with both feet, causing her to slam into the earth and form a crater.

Danny grinned. "Huh, I guess I am getting a little stronger…" He then dove after her when Lydia stood up and ripped her hood from her head, giving him a look of cold hate. He reached back to grab his thermos he'd brought, but a speedy blast of energy on Lydia's part, surprised Danny and flung him backwards. He hit the earth and skipped once before he reacted and went intangible. He floated up and became tangible again as he glared at Lydia. "Okay, this isn't over, yet."

zzz

 _Can you hear him?_ Aqualad asked Superboy as he walked beside Robin. The group of five had split into two groups to search for Freakshow in the building.

 _Yeah. He's below us._

 _Then he might be in the archives._ Robin suggested.

 _On it!_ Kid Flash sped off without another warning.

 _Kid wait!_ Aqualad sighed before he started running with Robin at his side.

 _Fortunately there aren't many ways out of the archives area in a museum. We should be able to corner him._ Robin offered.

As the two passed an intersecting hallway, Superboy and M'gann joined them and all four made their way to the doorway which lead down. The four teens ran down only to see Kid Flash get flung into them. They all toppled over each other as Kid groaned. "A cane, seriously?"

"It was my father's thank you. He carved it out of a Jubokko tree he'd slain in Japan. Did you know they're called vampire trees? I tried to grow one once, but they don't do well if you can't feed them humans regularly."

 _Ooookay._ Kid drawled mentally at the weird and disturbing info.

 _Definitely_ _need to check and see if he could be related to any murders..._ Robin noted.

The teens jumped to their feet as Freakshow stalked towards them from the darkness. He was leaning a bit on the dark gray cane he held. What captured their attention the most was his eyes though. His irises were red and the whites were a bit bloodshot.

"What are you doing here?" Aqualad demanded.

Freakshow grumbled something before speaking. "Now, now children, that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?"

Superboy growled before launching himself at Freakshow. The man paled a bit, if that was possible, and shrieked before diving out of the way and crawling a bit. "Lydia! Lydia I need you!" The man whined with a twinge of irritation ringing in his voice. Superboy turned to face the man again, while Robin pulled out a couple of bird-a-rangs.

"Actually I think you need to take a nap, pal." Robin threw the weapons, only for them to stop and be flung into the ground where they were embedded.

The teens looked over to see Lydia was there and lowering her hand. Danny surged through the wall seconds after that and tackled the ghost, causing her to grunt and both of them to start wrestling on the ground.

"The ghost boy? Phantom?" Freakshow questioned before a wide grin stretched across his face. "How delightful!"

M'gann narrowed her eyes and suspended the man in the air, causing him to cry out in surprise and drop his cane. "Tell Lydia to stop fighting."

"Or what, my little freak?" Freakshow asked and shrugged.

Robin whipped out some hand-cuffs. "Lower him some, M'gann. It doesn't matter anyway. Phantom can handle Lydia."

"Can he? I'm not so sure Lydia should worry you any longer."

Aqualad frowned. "What do you mean?"

Freakshow only grinned a big yellow-toothed grin and Superboy tensed when he noticed the man's eyes weren't just red, they were pulsing red. "What do we do at Circus Gothica, my pets?"

Kid Flash felt his face pale as his instincts told him something was wrong and he saw the others freeze when Phantom straightened up and stopped fighting Lydia. The ghost finally turned his head and they could see the red pulsing in their friend's normally green irises. "Unleash your dark side at Circus Gothica."

"Danny," M'gann whispered.

"What are you waiting for, get them!" Freakshow screeched.

Danny turned and flew at them faster than they were expecting, causing everyone to dive out of the way to avoid getting possessed; a few books clattered to the ground because they were pulled off of a dolly by Danny's backdraft. He turned and glared down at them as Freakshow turned to Lydia.

"Let's get a bit of distance, hm? Does the roof sound good?"

"Of course, master."

Freakshow looked up at Danny. "Actually _kill_ the meddling kids this time. Understood!?" Lydia then swept him up and they both flew through the ceiling.

"Crap, they're getting away!" Kid yelled.

"We have more pressing issues," Aqualad expressed and drew the speedster's focus back to their teammate.

"Danny, it's us! Your friends!" M'gann called out.

Danny snarled. "My master is all I need."

"That's totally not true! You know that! Snap out of it!" Kid shouted.

Danny whipped out a blast and Kid Flash barely dodged the green energy which scorched the ground. The speedster bumped into an archive shelve. He'd have to be mindful of the tight spaces in here, seeing as it was a bunch of isles that branched off of the main hall.

Superboy narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth in pure frustration. _We can't touch him or even restrain him. He'd take over our bodies or phase out of everything._

 _We absolutely have to keep our distance. We can't risk having one of us taken over. He would have the host's powers added to his own._ Aqualad instructed.

Robin frowned deeply as Danny slowly glanced over at him. The ghost then simply disappeared.

 _I can't see his heat signature when he's in the ground._ Superboy reported.

 _I can't read his mind either while he's like this. It feels like what he felt like at the train only ten times as erratic. It's like a dust-storm around his mind._

 _Keep moving! If he grabs one of us and takes us deep enough underground and then lets us turn tangible-_ Robin shouted mentally.

 _Oh hell. That would nearly be an instant death for most of us._ Kid Flash cursed.

 _M'gann, can you sense which direction he's coming from? The ball of emotion?_ Aqualad questioned.

 _Actually I kinda can…_ She suddenly gasped and whipped Robin off his feet with telekinesis. Danny faded into view after missing and Robin's white slit's in his mask could still easily show his shock.

 _Don't think I could've anticipated that, thanks a ton M'gann._

 _He's gone again!_ Superboy shouted in their minds and everyone saw Danny had vanished once more.

 _We're fighting a loosing battle. We can't fight him when we don't have proper ghost weaponry to give us a fighting chance. The best we can do is dodge him with M'gann's help._ Aqualad spoke gravely.

 _What are you saying?_ Kid Flash asked worriedly. He watched M'gann fly back quickly to probably avoid a still invisible Danny. _That we just abandon the mission **and** Danny!?_

 _I'm not leaving him with that guy. No._ Superboy growled. To him it was the same as if someone would've left him at Cadmus. Danny had been kept at Cadmus for at least half of the time he'd been alive. In some weird way there was a kinship there, at least on Superboy's end. He wasn't sure Danny recognized it, but he didn't dare mention anything.

 _We can't just leave him!_ M'gann joined in, a pit of panic rising in her mental voice.

 _I have to think of the good of the Team. He could kill us all if we wait around long enough. Do you think Danny would want to learn later that he did that?_ Aqualad argued back just as M'gann lifted him up and back into a different isle.

 _But…_ Kid Flash trailed off. Robin wore a dead set frown on his face, and his own bat-glare was present, even if it wasn't aimed at any particular person.

"Team, retreat," Aqualad ordered. He looked at M'gann. "Try to watch our backs on the way out."

"I…"

He turned and bolted for the door and eventually the others followed. Within a few minutes, they were back at the police line, telling them to retreat, that Freakshow had escaped.

Halfway back to the ship M'gann sighed. "I can't sense Danny. He's out of my range."

Superboy grit his teeth and turned heel before punching a tree clean in half. "Why did we leave!?"

Aqualad bowed his head before he glanced up at the others to answer. "You must understand. I did not want to leave either, but we were unprepared, without protective equipment. I had to make a choice."

Kid Flash crossed his arms. "Not a very good one."

Robin looked back at the city with a frown. "Well we found out what the second bottle was holding."

"What?" M'gann asked a little lifelessly.

"Blood of Isis stones. Batman and I studied the staff Danny detailed in his ghost files and got a second opinion from Zatara. That's what the orb was made out of. I guess Freakshow had a few pieces of stone remaining and used the Alkahest to dissolve them. Now the particles are small enough to circulate through his blood and must be giving him the power that the old staff had."

"So now what? Our teammate is that guy's slave and we're just hiding in the woods!" Kid Flash shouted.

Robin narrowed his eyes in thought before he started tinkering on his portable computer.

"Do we even know if the League could help?" M'gann asked.

"Zatara could possibly contain a ghost with his magic. Hawkman and Hawkwoman's maces and Nth metal weapons are said to effect magical or ghostly beings-" Aqualad started.

"They interrupt dimensional shifting, right?" Kid asked.

"Correct. I think the only other one with an item that directly effects ghosts is Wonder Woman's lasso, but she'd have to be able to see him to aim. I think they're the only ones that could hold him without risking possession." Aqualad finished.

"So what, we call the League and ask them to fix our mess?" Superboy asked hotly.

"Wait, are we even giving Danny a proper chance?" M'gann asked. "The League could stop him and detain him eventually, but at what cost? He would keep fighting past his limits so long as Freakshow is forcing him to." M'gann grew reserved and quiet again. "They might hurt him on accident."

"Not to mention that it certainly wouldn't help his reputation if people didn't understand why we were fighting him," Robin murmured under his breath.

"M'gann's right. Maybe we can snap him out of it, like we did with Superboy," Kid Flash agreed.

Aqualad stepped forward a bit. "We can't assume that this is comparable to what happened with Superboy. That was also a last ditch effort on my part..." He sighed. "...but I suppose you are all right that we must think more carefully about our options. However, the only other option is to leave him with Freakshow until we all receive the proper equipment."

"What about snapping him out of it, like Kid said?" Superboy asked with a bit of impatience before folding his arms.

"We still can't risk that. There's nothing guaranteeing that he'll respond. Not to mention that Freakshow's powers might be stronger than the abilities of the old staff," Aqualad expressed.

"We're going to have to try. There's no telling what might happen or what Freakshow might force Danny to do," Robin finally spoke up. "Would we have left Superboy if we'd had the option?"

Aqualad paused, considering Robin's point before he frowned. "Robin, I understand but-"

"Just one more time, Aqualad. Let's try to snap him out of it one more time. The report said that Danny still has some control and can hear us while being controlled. Trust me on this?" Robin offered.

"But how will we find them?" M'gann asked quietly.

Robin grinned. "Danny still has his comm-link on. Fortunately he's been turning it intangible with him and I've tracked his comm's serial number on my computer."

Everyone grew silent and looked at Aqualad. The atlantean let out a breath of resignation. "Very well. Let's give it one more shot. For Danny-" Everyone seemed to switch from nervous or frustrated to determined. Aqualad gave them a serious but understanding look. "But if we have no success, then we default to informing the League. Freakshow is becoming a greater threat than anyone anticipated. We will need an escape plan in the event that Danny doesn't respond accordingly."

The others looked at each other and then back at Aqualad before nodding. "As for a battle plan, I have an idea-" Robin offered.

The teens gathered closer as they listened to their youngest member's idea.

zzz

"Vague clues, but at least I have a direction in which to start searching… Cintamani, Baetylus, Philosopher's, eternal frostbite…" Freakshow muttered. He paced back and forth incessantly. Finally he paused and glanced upwards at the two ghosts floating quietly in the abandoned apartment room. He traipsed over and gripped Danny's chin harshly. "And the best little surprise gift of all, Phantom!" He stared deeply into Danny's dull eyes and his irises' pulsed. "This time, you will remain mine. I did want to destroy you, but you're just too much fun not to keep around. Ha-ha!" His face changed from laughing to dark and serious. "But I really do want to make you suffer. Do you have any idea what you and your little human friends took from me? Stupid little dead brat!" The man held up his right hand above his head, ready to strike the motionless ghost.

He was slammed into the nearby wall by an invisible force and gave a shout of surprise and fear. When he looked up he saw those other teens, but more importantly he saw the large black-haired one marching towards him. "Lydia! Phantom! Kill them!~" He sung out and ended by gritting his teeth.

Aqualad pulled water out of the pipes in the building and smashed a stunned Lydia into the other wall. She phased away from the water before becoming tangible once more to fire an ectoblast at the atlantean who dodged.

Robin sprinted to Danny and grabbed the ghost's arms. "Phantom, snap out of it! You've got to break free!"

Danny's response was to phase his arm out from under the boy wonder and to aim the glowing green palm at his teammate's head.

They locked in place for a heartbeat, even as shouting and fighting occurred around them. For a brief moment, Robin considered that he might die. He wondered how many different ways it could go down. Phase something into him, phase something out of him, burn a hole through his head, scream and obliterate the building? He also hoped that Bruce would understand. He didn't want to believe it could happen, from the short time the Team had come together, Robin had grown very attached. Batman was like a father-figure and understood him in ways few could, but it was nice to be around others his age that got him as well. Even the short amount of time he'd known the Team, he trusted them with his life, seeing as they went on missions. Sam and Tucker had snapped Danny out of this before. Surely he could hear him; he focused on his teammate as hard as he could. "I know you're in there."

Then he saw it, green flickering in his friend's irises. "Rob-in."

"Yes!"

Danny's eyes gazed up behind him and suddenly, they were falling through the floor. Robin heard someone yell his name. Then they were tangible and struck the ground on floor below in a heap. He heard Danny groan in pain. Then his friend's face snapped up and Robin saw the red flood out of the ghost's eyes. They looked at each other and Robin noted the horror that started to dawn on Danny's face. "Oh no."

"Lydia's still up there," Robin expressed, feeling a bit bad for cutting him off. Danny seemed to understand and shot up with Robin holding on. When they got there, they saw Superboy was holding an unconscious Freakshow and Lydia was diving through Aqualad and Kid Flash's attacks.

Danny intercepted her halfway there and blasted her into a wall. The ghost let out a groan before falling into a trance state, or unconsciousness for ghosts. Danny was panting and staring at Lydia before he pulled out his thermos from his belt to capture her.

"What happened to him?" Robin asked and pointed at Freakshow. He vaguely noticed the scorch mark on the ground where Danny and he had been standing.

"Better question, what happened to you!?" Kid Flash yelped out. "We thought Danny had-" He paused and looked over at Danny, who was still staring at the wall, even though he'd captured Lydia.

"He snapped out of it," Robin replied quickly.

"I slapped him. I think I broke his jaw. That Lydia ghost lost it after that and got tired of playing Aqualad and Kid Flash's game," Superboy expressed, glancing at the criminal in his grasp like it was a foreign object that he didn't know what to do with.

"I guess being unconscious causes his powers to loose their potency," M'gann murmured.

"Good."

Everyone glanced over as a seething Danny. They'd actually never seen the ghost angry like this before. His jaw was clenched, his brow was furrowed, and his eyes were glowing brightly.

"Danny?" M'gann questioned and floated over.

Danny looked back and they saw the fury fade from his face as if it hadn't been there. "Guys… I…"

Kid Flash sped up and threw an arm over Danny's shoulder before he lightly punched his chest. "You really worried us, Dan."

Danny sighed, put a hand to his head, and looked down. "The last thing I remember was trying to knock Lydia out." He glared over at Freakshow's unconscious form. "He used me again." He clenched his fists and marched out of the half hug and towards the window in the room.

"It's okay, Danny. Everything turned out okay." M'gann offered and reached out. Danny's aura flared slightly and he hugged himself, causing M'gann to pause and retract her hand.

"We've got a transfer police car en route too. They've got inhibitor collars and that should handle his powers," Robin spoke up as he cuffed Freakshow.

Danny stared down at the thermos now hooked to his waist. "I guess I'll have to keep her in here until we hear that the Penitentiary's ghost shield is up." He sighed and turned to face everyone. "I'm really sorry guys."

Aqualad walked up to Danny and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We are just glad that you've returned to us."

Danny only nodded and an awkward silence fell over the group. The truth was that Danny was still feeling the sting of self-loathing and the others were wrestling with the sudden unease they felt about their friend's powers.

 **Mount Justice. July 30, 2010. 22:20 EDT.**

They stood facing the monitor as Batman stared them down. Danny kept trying to keep his gaze steady, but he just couldn't meet eyes with the heroes. Black Canary was standing off to the side, along with Red Tornado.

"While I commend you for going back for your teammate and being fast thinkers. I will stress that what you did put you all in unnecessary danger. It was reckless," Batman expressed. Danny couldn't help but deflate a bit. They were getting punished because of him.

"Batman, Kaldur did a good job. He got us out of there the first time when we would've totally been toast. We all agreed that we were going to try to get Danny to snap out of it one more time," Robin spoke up.

Batman looked at his ward for a long minute. "If this ever happens again, contact the League." He then looked over everyone else. "Freakshow has been transported to Belle Reve. They are going to be able to complete their ghost shield by August fifth, according to their report. The Fentons at Axion, in conjunction with S.T.A.R. Labs, will be able to provide us with proper equipment in the next couple days. Black Canary would like to talk with everyone briefly. Four days from now will be your first group combat session with her. Dismissed." Batman turned and walked towards the zeta beams, but not before motioning discreetly for Robin to follow.

"Bye guys, see ya." He said honestly before disappearing after his mentor.

Black Canary looked at the others. "Alright. I'll start by talking with Wally."

Wally perked up and grinned. He made double finger pistols and clicked his tongue. "You've got it."

Black Canary rose her brow in amusement before walking off with Wally trailing behind. Everyone else was left in silence, until Superboy walked off towards the TV and sat down. M'gann said she was going to cook and flew into the kitchen. Danny then took the initiative and flew away to phase into his room. Aqualad remained crossing his arms to think while he was alone.

zzz

"Did facing your teammate frighten you?" Canary asked quietly as Wally leaned back in the large chair.

"Well not really," Wally spoke and fudged the truth a bit. "There was a moment where I was worried that Danny had hurt Robin, but that was it. We just had to bust that freak up and a bit and then everything would be fine. So no, I wasn't really scared."

Canary hummed as she watched Wally's body language, picking up that something was off. "Does it unnerve you that he has the ability to take over your body and not be touched by conventional means?"

"I guess? But then again a lot of my friends have scary powers. M'gann enters our mind without much trouble and Superboy can punch through steel. That's not a new feeling."

"Of course. Would you feel safer if you got to wear a specter deflection belt?"

"Um…" Wally paused. "Wouldn't that mean a ghost could only touch us when we wanted them to?"

Canary slowly nodded and waited to hear his response.

A small frown came to the boy's face before he smiled. "Sure, why not? Is that one of the gadgets the League and our Team is going to get?"

Canary nodded and gave a smile. "Yes it is. Just one more question."

"Shoot."

"Would you want to wear it in the Cave or just on specific missions?"

Wally stalled at that. "Wait, don't those things affect Danny even when he's in human form? They're more sensitive than shields."

Canary only silently nodded.

Wally deflated a bit and sunk into his chair. "So what, we keep him an arms distance away? I mean, I like the guy and he's fun to hang out with. I don't know him as well as I do Rob, but wouldn't that be a bit… cruel?"

"Is that what you think?" Canary asked.

Wally looked at her. "Yeah. I don't see a kryptonite belt on anyone."

She knew he wasn't trying to make a perfect metaphor and so it got the message across.

"True. I'm not saying we're going to make you do anything, not to mention that the belts can negate specific ecto-signatures and not do those individuals harm. The point of the question was that trust is an important part of being a team, especially a team with remarkable beings on it. I just wanted to check on each of you after this. I know it can be shocking and a bit emotionally disorienting to have one of your friends turned against you. It's natural to start taking greater notice of what they can actually do. Sometimes, we forget that, you know?"

Wally hummed. "Right." He grinned at her. "You've got a beautiful brain."

Canary rolled her eyes and pointed to the door. "You can go."

Wally chuckled a bit nervously and zipped out of the room. Canary sighed and lifted herself up to call for Superboy. The next three sessions went by fairly similar to Wally's. Superboy was quiet and didn't answer many of her questions, except to insinuate that he wasn't afraid of Danny. M'gann had had a similar response. She hadn't felt quiet as frightened, seeing as she could actually more easily sense Danny than normal due to the side-effects of Freakshow's power manipulating the emotional energy around him. She was more concerned about Danny. Aqualad on the other hand, had been more worried about the choices he had made. He had felt guilt for leaving Danny the first time and worry that the others would think he had wanted to abandon their teammate.

"There's going to be bumps in the road. If you want my opinion, I'd say you've all bonded quite a bit for the amount of time you've had."

"I'd like to think so," Aqualad sighed.

"Something unexpected happened, you all dealt with it well, everyone's safe. We can always learn from mistakes, but we also can't let them consume us," Canary advised.

"Right. Thank you Canary." Aqualad offered and held out a hand.

Canary stood and shook it. "It's no trouble. Can you tell Danny I'm waiting for him?"

"Yes, I can." Aqualad walked out and nearly ran into the ghost. "Oh, greetings Danny. Canary is ready for you."

Danny looked up and smiled before moving around his team leader and entering the room.

"Hey Danny, come sit down," Canary spoke and gestured to the chair across from her.

Danny nodded and sat down.

"So, I'm guessing from what Jazz and I talked about, you're feeling guilt," Canary started giving a honestly sympathetic look.

Danny sighed and rested his head in his hand, propping his elbow on the arm-rest. "That's the second time that I almost killed my friends because of mind control."

"That power also does something to your core, right? How are you feeling?" Canary asked, trying to remember some of the specifically ghost oriented psychological nuances she needed to remember.

"Yeah." Danny shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know where that magic comes from, but it always feels like a hand has been in my chest…"

"So you feel a bit violated?"

Danny placed a stretched out palm to his chest. "A ghost's core is their existence, their purpose."

"I'm sorry."

Danny sighed. "I'll be fine. I'm just worried that…"

"That, what?"

Danny looked up at Canary for a moment before he glanced at the ground. "That everyone will be afraid of me."

Canary recalled something Jazz had told her about Danny feeling like a monster early on, due to what his parent had taught him about ghosts. "I think you aren't giving them enough credit. They may be a bit nervous for a bit, it's natural after something like this happens. You trust them though, right?"

Danny nodded fervently. "Yeah, of course!"

"They trust you too-"

"But I broke that trust-"

"Did you?" The two were silent for a moment until Canary finally spoke again. "Sometimes it's hard to separate emotion from logic. They know you weren't in control Danny. Give them a bit of time and remember that there are others on the Team with pretty scary powers too."

Danny let out a held breath and nodded. "Yeah." He then looked up at her; he considered trying to even begin. But how does one start to explain something as dark as seeing yourself destroy the world? He just wasn't sure he could tell anyone that. Who, other than maybe Jazz or Sam and Tucker, would ever trust him again afterwards? At that moment, he realized he probably needed to speak or something...

"Get some rest, alright?" Canary cut in, giving Danny a kind smile.

Danny seemed to deflate with relief. "Okay, sounds good."

"And Danny?" Danny glanced down at the woman as he went to exit. "Talk to them."

Canary watched the boy leave and frowned. She could tell he had a deep concern of being feared, which was understandable since so many civilians feared ghosts and had in turn feared him. The only thing that didn't quite make sense to her was that, he seemed to have a greater worry that the people closest to him would fear him. Maybe his parents being ghost hunters had perpetuated that? It didn't seen to fit though, not like it should. She let out a sigh. Maybe he'd eventually open up more. Patience was the name of the game after all.

Danny, as soon as he'd walked out of the room Canary was in, phased through the walls and into his own room. Some clothes were loose on his bed and some spare shoes were near the door. He glanced at the thermos that was safety placed on his bookshelf before walking over to his bed and flopping down. Great, everyone had been reminded what he really was and the League didn't have any new info regarding his situation. This just wasn't his day at all. He let his face sink into one of his pillows and sighed.

zzz

"So you thought it was a good idea to be the one to attempt to snap Danny out of his trace?" Bruce asked as he and Dick walked up the staircase from the Batcave.

"He wouldn't have gained much of an advantage from possessing me, Danny can only possess one person at a time currently, and ghosts don't receive memories of those they overshadow."

"He could've killed you."

"A lot of things can kill someone." Dick heard Bruce go silent and figured the man was trying to deal with his protective anger. He could just tell by the way Bruce was scowling that he was not exactly whelmed. "And I was right. Danny was fighting the whole time. He even saved me from a stray ectoblast."

"It was utterly reckless," Bruce growled slightly.

"I couldn't leave him. He's our friend and teammate. Would you have left me?"

"No, but you're a child-"

Dick snapped his face to look up at Bruce. "We're not children. We're trained and skilled. We handled our problem and now everything's fine." Dick then marched off through the hallway in the mansion, passing up Alfred.

The butler looked up at the silent Bruce. "Troubles, sir?"

Bruce sighed. "He tried to snap Danny out of a hypnotic trance. He may not have wanted to, but Danny could've done something terrible."

Alfred walked closer. "While I don't agree with Master Dick's idea that he is not a child, perhaps he is more aware of the risks than you're giving him credit for." He folded his arms behind his back. "I do recall another that tends to be more than willing to throw himself out there before his other super-powered friends."

Bruce coughed and then narrowed his eyes at the older man. "Got it."

"Of course, Master Bruce. I'm glad I could be of service. My last bit of advice would be to check on Master Dick soon." Alfred remained as passive as ever and turned to head towards the kitchen. Bruce glanced down the hall and towards the staircase that would lead to Dick's room and sighed before walking that way. When he eventually got to Dick's room, he saw the boy laying on his bed. He glanced at Bruce and shrugged.

"I just wanted to save him."

Bruce gave a small smile and he saw Dick relax. "I know." He walked inside and sat down on the end of the bed. Dick sat up and was surprised when his adopted father pulled him into a relaxed hug with one arm. "I just worry." Bruce said it gruffly and with an even tone, but Dick could easily pick out how much he meant his words.

Dick slowly let his head rest against Bruce's chest and gave a smile.

* * *

 **So some various things happened here. I wonder what Freakshow was muttering about? And then some interesting topics are brought up by the teens and Black Canary regarding trust and teammates with superpowers.**

 **Then a little Bruce and Dick father son moment at the end. I intend to involve the Leaguers a bit more in this story than they were in YJ. I think that was one thing I wanted to see a tiny bit more was just interactions between the mentors and their protégés in their own domains and away from the Team. I think they did a bit of that in the spin-off comics, sometimes.**

 **Point is, YJ is about independence and I want this story to keep that, but also add in more about bonds between teacher and student and how they change.**

 **Until next time.**


	7. Accountability

**Sorry for being late. I had some homework that got in the way, then I crashed and fell asleep and then woke up the next day. Heh.**

 **Still updating every week until chapter 8 (buffer ends).**

 **For the newest news on my other stories always check my profile page!**

* * *

 **Metropolis. August 3, 2010. 07:38 EDT.**

The sun was shining brightly as people drove across one of the main extension bridges in Metropolis. The whining of metal broke the peaceful quiet of the morning and suspension wires snapped and fell onto the road; the bridge itself started to tip and cars slammed into each other after they'd lost control. A school bus had been struck by several cars and was nearly being forced off the bridge. The children inside started to scream in a panic.

Inside the large upper story of a Wayne company building, Bruce Wayne watched the incident occur through his binoculars. He turned and reached back to press a hidden button in a bust and get his Batsuit out for use, when a shockwave of sound echoed through the air outside. Bruce saw Superman head towards the bridge and relaxed, knowing the other hero could handle it.

Superman flew underneath the bridge and lifted it up to help with the tilt. He then started to use his heat vision to melt metal bracers together so that the bridge could stay stable for a while longer.

At that moment, Superboy leapt to that location and touched down on the bridge. The entire bridge shuttered, causing Superman to grunt and try to keep the bridge from falling apart anymore than it already had. Above, Superboy was busy pulling cars away from the edge. After getting a couple to safety, he ran over towards the bus that was starting to tip and attempted to lift it.

It was heavier than he thought. He knew buses were near thirteen tons, sometimes more and sometimes less. Couldn't Danny lift that much in ghost form? At least according to the Cave's machines. He grunted in frustration and tried even harder to pull back; he could feel himself finally gain leverage, when suddenly the bus was easily lifted right out of his grasp and placed on the ground.

Superman appeared before him with a stern look on his face. The younger of the two immediately felt indignation rise within him.

"I had that."

"I didn't want to take the chance. As it is, your landing nearly destabilized the entire bridge," Superman reasoned.

"It didn't," Superboy said lowly.

"But it could have. We don't yet know the limits of your powers."

Superboy glanced down and paused before he finally looked up, suddenly feeling vulnerable. "But maybe you could, you know, help me figure that out," He held his breath for a moment, wondering if the man would actually agree with the right reasoning present.

An uncomfortable look crossed Superman's face and he glanced away. "Batman's got that covered."

Superboy felt like a chance was passing by him, quicker than Wally running to get a snack from the kitchen. "I know, but-" Before he could even get the words out, Superman turned away, responding to his comm after he heard his name.

The older hero furrowed his brow. "Wait, Arrow. Slow down. What's attacking?" Superboy's felt disappointment and hurt well up inside. Was he really that disgusting? Why did his team seem fine around him, but all the adults seemed slightly uncomfortable at best and Superman levels of avoidance at worst? "No, I'm definitely available. Coordinates?" A pause. "Aknowledged. On my way." He turned to look at Superboy. "Sorry, Superboy. Duty calls."

And like that, Superman was flying away. The flying thing always got to Superboy; it was the easiest way to leave him behind, a place he couldn't follow.

Up in the tower, Bruce narrowed his eyes after pulling his binoculars away. He reached up to grab his phone and contacted Superman.

"Already got the alert, Bruce."

"I know, Clark, but we need to talk."

 **Mount Justice. August 3, 2010. 13:06 EDT.**

Aqualad blinked in shock when the disk slid past his palm and went into the goal. Wally grinned as he munched on a banana.

"Told you I was good at air hockey."

"Technically it's digital hockey. No air, remember?" Robin expressed.

"But can you beat me?" Danny offered and cocked a brow.

"Is that a challenge?" Wally responded and snorted as he continued to take another bite of his fruit.

 _Recognized. Superboy, 04._

Everyone glanced up when Superboy marched into the Cave looking peeved.

"Hi, Superboy. How was Metropolis?" M'gann greeted. Superboy ignored her as he walked through the hockey simulation and made it evaporate.

Someone cleared their throat and the Team looked up to see that Black Canary had finished preparing for them. "Ready for training, everyone?" It was soon revealed that Martian Manhunter was also with Canary.

"Black Canary, Uncle J'onn!" M'gann finished in an excited tone. She flew over and embraced him.

"M'gann, I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd see how you were adjusting," Manhunter responded with a fond smile; his niece was looking so happy.

"A few bumps, but I'm learning," She expressed, her voice slightly muffled against his body. Was it funny that she'd had the chance to hug him more in the few days she'd been on Earth than in several years on Mars?

"That's all I can ask," the other martian replied. Superboy scowled and marched away. Black Canary noticed him leaving and spoke up.

"Stick around. Class is in session." Superboy turned to face her as she walked into the middle of the mission control's center and activated the battle training function. The floor lit up a brilliant white as the program was activated.

She glanced over her shoulder and nodded to Danny. "Now that Phantom is properly caught up. We can get started on the finer things." She turned so that she could roughly face all of her students. "I consider it an honor to be your teacher. I'll throw a lot at you, everything I've learned from my own mentors-" She paused while pulling her jacket off of her left arm and hissed. "-and my own bruises."

"What happened?" M'gann asked in a worried tone.

"The job. Now, combat is about controlling the conflict, putting the battle on your terms. You should always be acting, never reacting. I'll need a sparing partner," Canary explained and looked over the teens before her.

Danny saw that Wally was still finishing his banana, so he walked forward. "I'd imagine I'd be a good example."

Canary nodded and gave a smile. "Alright, Danny. Let's see what you've retained."

Danny walked out and got into a loose stance to match Canary's. Danny then nervously threw a sharp jab for Canary's head. Quicker than he'd realized she could, Canary nabbed his punching arm, twisted, forced him to follow, and tripped him. She was pressing into his back with his own arm and his face was mushed against the ground.

"Yep, figured that would happen," Danny grumbled. Wally and Robin burst out laughing, while Aqualad only shook his head. M'gann looked surprised while Superboy was completely quiet.

Canary then let Danny up and the boy started to shake his arm to get feeling back into it.

"Can you tell me what he did wrong?" the Leaguer asked and looked up to see who would try to answer.

"He didn't think to try and counter." Aqualad offered.

Canary nodded. "Correct." She glanced at Danny who coughed.

"Sorry."

"We can let you try using your ghost half in a moment and see if that changes things," Canary gave a knowing smile before looking up. "Anyone else?"

"Right here. After this, swish-" Wally threw his banana peel and it landed in the garbage can nearby. "-I'll show you my moves."

Canary smirked and suddenly she threw a punch, which Wally managed to block. Her second movement however, caught him off guard. She ducked and quickly swept his legs, causing the speedster to trip and slam into the ground on his back.

"Ooh… Hurts so good," Wally muttered in pain, before Canary reached down to help him up.

"Good block, but did anyone see what he did wrong?"

Robin raised a hand, grinning the whole time. "Ooh! Ooh! He hit on teacher and got served?"

"Dude!" Wally whined while Danny gave the boy a helpless shrug as though to say he had a point.

"He allowed me to dictate the terms of-" Canary started before Superboy interrupted her.

"Oh please. With my powers, the battle's always on my terms. Not only that, but M'gann could hurt you without even touching you and Danny can phase through any attack. This is pointless. I'm a living weapon, and this is a waste of my time."

An awkward tension entered the air and Danny looked at his feet, shuffling them a bit, trying to avoid looking at his teammates. M'gann only looked up at her uncle with a small frown on her face. The older martian smiled and nodded towards Canary.

Canary nodded in understanding and gestured for him to come. "Prove it."

Danny looked up at that and saw with the others as Superboy got into stance and threw a punch. Canary grabbed it lightning quick and tossed Superboy bodily. He hit the ground and the machine labeled him with fail, as it had the other two.

Robin couldn't help himself and let out a peal of laughter and pointed. Aqualad looked down at his younger friend and elbowed him, causing Robin to try and muffle his laughter with both hands. Danny was only blinking in surprise. Though he valued learning how to fight in his human form, he'd kinda shared a similar thought with Superboy before the other teen had actually voiced his thoughts. Now though, he was second guessing things. He could phase away from humans and their punches and kicks, no matter how strong, didn't hurt him in ghost form. In a team situation he could see how being able to toss an opponent could be helpful and give someone else, who was more equipped to face an alien or stronger opponent, the opportunity to fight them. Perhaps if Manhunter was fighting as well, then right now he might fly over to confront the kryptonian, giving Canary the chance to face someone else or accomplish some potential second goal. The other thing that occurred to him was that he didn't have to be quite as afraid to hurt a human combatant, if Sportsmaster and Canary were anything to go by; they weren't as fragile as he'd thought.

"If you're resourceful enough, then you can handle a surprising number of different opponents. You can control combat, that doesn't always mean you have to win every face off," Canary paused when Superboy got up and growled. "You're angry. Good, but don't react. Channel that anger into-" she was cut off when he charged with a fist held back. Canary jumped, leaping over Superboy. She ducked when he swung back and tried to hit her; then she swept his legs and he went down with a thump. Robin was still snickering, M'gann seemed worried, and the others were just watching either passively or with slight concern as Superboy only seemed to get more frustrated.

Superboy's eyes snapped open and he pulled himself up. "That's it. I'm done." Canary placed a hand on his back.

"Training is mandatory."

Superboy shrugged her off as the monitor activated and drew everyone's attention to it. Batman looked over them and spoke.

"Batman to the Cave." Everyone moved closer to listen as Batman continued. "Five hours ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary." A video popped up next to the dark knight, showing the android fighting the League. "The attacker was capable of studying, then duplicating the powers and abilities of its opponents. Arrow called in reinforcements, which nearly proved disastrous, as our foe gained more and more power with each new combatant."

"Whoa, one guy with the power of the entire League?" Wally murmured. A lump formed in the teens' stomachs at the thought. Danny felt dread well inside of him at the very mention of anyone who could put up a fight against the entire Justice League. Destroyed buildings, fires, and an apocalyptic wasteland from his memories lingered in the back of his thoughts.

Batman continued. "In the end, it took eight Leaguers four hours to figure out how to defeat and dismantle the android."

"An android? Who made it, T.O. Morrrow?" Robin asked thoughtfully.

"Good guess, Robin, but Red Tornado doesn't think so," Batman replied.

"The technology bears the signature of professor Ivo," Manhunter explained.

"Ivo? But Ivo's dead," Aqualad declared.

"Funny how that works, huh?" Danny asked and scratched his head.

Canary looked over her shoulder at Aqualad. "So we all thought or hoped."

Batman picked it back up at that point. "To make certain this threat is permanently neutralized, we're sending two trucks carrying the android's parts to two separate S.T.A.R. lab facilities in Boston and New York for immediate evaluation. Every precaution is being taken. We'll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion in case Ivo or anyone tries to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams to safeguard the two real trucks."

Wally grinned and double fist pumped. "Yes! Road Trip."

"So now we take out your trash," Superboy muttered.

Batman narrowed his eyes. "You had something better to do?"

Aqualad glanced down at the small computer in his hand. "Coordinates received. On our way." The team then ran and flew off after Aqualad. Superboy was the last to go and Canary reached out to touch him and get his attention. He looked over his shoulder at her.

"When you're ready, I'll be here."

Superboy didn't reply and simply turned to walk away.

 **Litchfield County. August 3, 2010. 20:08 EDT.**

Several Leaguers oversaw the scientists and drivers putting the android parts into the two trucks. Superman looked around and saw through the bushes that Superboy and his Team were ready and on their motorcycles. He heard Phantom mention something about Johnny thirteen before Superboy seemed to notice him through the same bushes. Superman turned away decisively and Superboy frowned and put on his helmet.

John Stewart spoke up and announced that the Boston truck was ready, Green Arrow answered that the Manhattan truck was also set to go.

The Team reeved their bikes as the trucks pulled out and separated into two groups of three. Batman saw Danny nearly pull an accidental wheelie. He'd get the hang of it. He turned and walked over to Superman as the other Leaguers started to depart. He stopped the man of steel by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I told you, we need to talk."

zzz

"See, it's not too hard. It's like riding a bike!" Robin expressed watching as Danny coasted near him with a nervous look on his face.

"A bike going sixty eight miles an hour," Danny deadpanned back. "Now all I need is a bell."

Robin snorted as Superboy sped up to be beside them. Robin noticed him approach and looked at both his friends. "Okay, important question, need opinions. If dislike is the opposite of like, is disaster the opposite of aster? See, instead of things going wrong, they go right."

Danny hummed in thought. "Sounds fair to me." _Lancer would scold me if he could hear this assault to the English language._

Robin grinned and then looked at Superboy only to see the boy wasn't likely to respond. "Uh, clearly you're not feeling the aster. What's wrong, Supes?"

"Canary," Superboy answered plainly before continuing. "What business does she have teaching combat skills to a guy with super strength?"

"I think it's pretty helpful. I know I'm strong, but I like filling up holes in my defenses. I definitely need to learn how to fight better, with or without my powers. Being striped of my powers a few times when I really could've used them taught me that. I don't want to be a liability," Danny expressed.

"Besides, taking down stronger guys is part of the gig, ya know? Canary learned that the hard way. Same with Batman and, well, me."

Superboy grumbled in agitation before he reeved his bike and zoomed ahead of the other two.

"I wonder if that's really the reason why he's mad," Robin murmured.

Danny shrugged. "I'm sure he'll be fine eventually. He probably just feels a bit out of place. He doesn't really have a mentor and he feels like Canary probably can't teach him everything he wants to understand."

"Experience?" Robin asked and looked at Danny with a smile and a cocked eyebrow.

Danny huffed. "Yeah, I guess."

Robin softly tapped Danny on the shoulder with a fist. "I'd say you're both right in place. No out of place here." Danny lifted a brow and Robin just sighed. "Doesn't work as well with phrases, huh?"

"Nope," Danny replied, causing Robin to start laughing. Danny then grinned and reeved his own bike. "Now, let's get this show on the road." He then zoomed off before Robin could properly assault him for whipping out a pun and leaving.

zzz

"Do you think Superboy's ok? I wasn't reading his mind, I swear, but anger flowed off him in waves," M'gann murmured with concern.

"Heh, surf that wave. Just give him space. Me? Stick as close as you want," Kid Flash expressed and tilted his bike so that he was now riding very close to her.

M'gann lifted both of her brows, showing she wasn't amused. Aqualad let out a small sigh of exasperation before responding to M'gann's question, himself.

"Superboy just needs time to cool off. A quiet mission will clear his head."

Quite suddenly, several robots flew out from the rows of crops and latched themselves onto the truck. After getting over his brief shock of seeing the monkey robots appear from seemingly nowhere, he radioed Robin's group.

"Robin, Superboy, Phantom, our truck-" He was cut off by Robin's reply.

zzz

"-Kinda figured."

Monkey shaped robots were draped all about their own truck.

"It's always something, isn't it? Is it possible to go through a mission and have it turn out like it's suppose to?" Danny questioned as irritation crept up his spine.

Superboy only growled. "I hate monkeys."

Robin snorted. "Psst. Robot monkeys, totally Ivo's tweaked style." He looked and nodded to both Danny and Superboy as his bike transformed. "Hey, switch your bikes to battle mode."

"No point." Superboy balanced on his bike before he leapt towards the truck. Robin gasped and Danny stopped his search for the button to press, when the abandoned bike tumbled towards them.

"Or not." Robin leapt up to dodge the inevitable crash and shot a magnetized grabble at the back of the vehicle. Danny simply went intangible and left his bike to it's own fate. Robin struck the truck and kicked away a couple of robots that were trying to cut into the truck with lasers. Superboy smacked away a few more with his helmet before a small group tried to dog pile him. Danny swooped in at that moment and turned Superboy intangible, allowing the pouncing monkeys to miss him and fly right off the truck. Some of them couldn't change course quick enough to avoid plowing into the asphalt, but most flew back up to continue fighting.

Danny turned and started to fire blasts at any approaching robots while Superboy was back to back with him and dealing with the ones already on the vehicle. He grabbed one in his hand and it's head rotated around and blasted him in the face, burning his eyes. He cried out and backed into Danny, tipping the boy over the side with him.

"Ah!" Danny cried out and managed to snag the ledge, Superboy was dragged off by other monkeys and dropped on the road a ways back. Danny looked over his shoulder, concerned for Superboy before he felt several things snap around his fingers on his left hand. "OW! He cried out and slung a monkey off his hand. "You've got to be kidding me. That mammal shaped toaster bit me!" Danny cried out in indignation.

"We'll have to give you a rabies shot later," Robin joked as he knocked away another monkey.

Superboy listened to his friends voices and the monkeys before he lunged into the air, after the truck, literal blind fury driving him.

zzz

Aqualad tried to knock as many as he could from the truck, but it seemed like with every lash of his water bearers, the number of monkeys doubled. Kid Flash and M'gann soon had to abandon their bikes when they were swarmed by machines.

Up front the driver was flat out panicking. M'gann flew forward and tossed as many robots off as she could and formed multiple arms to start helping her fight the increasing number of monkeys. The driver screamed when he saw her and she flew up to the top of the truck right as Kid Flash flipped up to join her. He saw her extra arms and screamed in surprise, falling back on his butt, while M'gann yelled in surprise from his cry.

Kid Flash panted. "Whoa uh…"

"Sorry! Sorry!"

"Nah it's okay." He winked. "I like a lot of woman."

M'gann only face palmed until they both heard Aqualad yell out that their cargo had been taken. All three watched as the red box was flown away within the arms of a couple monkey robots.

zzz

Danny watched in slight stunned amazement as his teammate jumped up to the top of the truck and started to fight with a pair of escrima sticks.

He flew up and landed behind Robin once the boy wonder had gotten to the front. "Dang, how do you-"

"Been doing this since I was nine," Robin expressed with a grin. Danny saw the smile fall when the boy's eyes caught something behind them. The ghost boy turned to see Superboy land on the truck and make the whole thing shutter. They both heard the telltale sign of wheels being popped. Danny saw Robin turn and lean down to yell at the driver when they started to swerve across the pavement. They then dove away from the car and Danny managed to snatch Robin and the driver mid dive and make their decent easier.

The vehicle tipped and slid across the asphalt before rolling several times. After it finally came to a stop, the back blew out and two monkeys flew off with the goods.

Robin and Danny walked out of the stalks, with the driver trailing behind them. They witnessed the monkeys pass over them just as Superboy growled and launched into a jump to follow.

"Superboy!" Robin called out as their teammate disappeared into the distance.

"Aqualad to Robin. We've lost our cargo. Did you-"

"It's gone and so is Superboy," Robin replied as Danny came up right next to him. They heard the comm click to echo in all the team member's ears.

"Aqualad to Superboy. Radio your position. We'll help you."

Superboy's response came back in a near growl. "I don't need help, don't want any!"

"Superboy?" Aqualad asked when he no longer heard his friend's breaths or voice in the mic anymore.

"I think he ditched his comm," Robin offered.

"Super…" Kid Flash drawled out sarcastically. "Now we can't even track him."

M'gann attempted to focus and came up empty. "He's out of my telepathic range." She paused and started up with a bit of nervousness to her voice. "This professor Ivo, if he is alive, seems to be two steps ahead of us. M-maybe w-we should contact Red Tornado?"

Auqlad bowed his head. "Red Tornado tends to tell us to handle things ourselves. Besides, the mission can still succeed if we recover the parts before they're reassembled."

"Well that's a great plan, except for the part about us not knowing where to look!" Kid Flash argued in frustration.

"Maybe… we do," Robin expressed before he walked over to one of the broken monkeys. He connected a cord to the robot and started to hack into it.

"What are you doing, Rob?" Danny asked.

"Well we would've heard by now if the decoy trucks had been attacked. The question is then, how did they know which trucks to target?" Robin explained. He paused and then grinned. "Ha! Just as I thought. The parts have GPS. That's how they were tracked. Since the monkey's can track the signal, I can track them with the one I captured. It looks like both sets of parts are converging on Gotham city."

Aqualad furrowed his brows. "That far south? M'gann and I won't get there anytime soon. I'm sending Kid on ahead to meet the two of you. Aqualad out."

Kid Flash grinned and snapped on his googles before speeding off.

Danny watched as Robin signaled his bike and took a look around. "I'd say definitely a disaster, heavy on the dis."

"Yeah…" Danny glanced down at the ground and frowned. "Do you think that Amazo thing could copy _my_ powers?"

Robin looked up at his friend as the idea hit him and blinked. Danny only continued to stare at the ground.

 **Metropolis. August 3, 2010. 21:18 EDT.**

The sounds of a siren and the tinkling of plates, glasses and utensils filled their ears as the two men made their orders.

Clark Kent looked up at the waiter with a pleasant smile. "Apple pie."

Bruce continued to look at his menu as he spoke, "The devil's food." He then passed his menu to the waiter as Clark did the same.

Clark hummed. "Something tells me this isn't about dessert."

The small smile Bruce had been harboring fell. He leaned forward. "The boy needs you."

Clark picked up quickly what this was about. "No. He needs you. He needs Red. I'm just a constant reminder of what he's not." He broke eye contact with his friend as he finished his sentence, but looked back up soon after.

"Sorry, Clark, but you're dead wrong. Look, I know he troubles you, but he's here. You have to get over the how and why. Trust me on this. This boy needs his father, his-"

"I'm not his father," Clark growled out and went to stand, but Bruce stopped him by gripping his wrist.

"Will you sit down and let me finish," Bruce spoke plainly and with impatience starting to show.

Clark paused, a million thoughts racing through his head before he finally relented and sat down. "Look, I'm sorry, but he's not my son, he's… well I don't know, but-"

Bruce halted the man by placing a single picture on the table, which looked to be a xerox copy of the original. It was a young girl with white hair and green eyes. She was taking a picture of herself floating over a very busy street in what looked like Hong Kong. At the bottom of the picture was a message.

 _Hey Danny. I've been doing well. It's still a bit hard finding ways to make money and stuff, but don't worry! I'm well and I've been loving all the places I've travelled to. I hope you're doing well too. I recently noticed that I have a ghost sense like you do! Isn't that awesome? I was hoping that the next time I came around you could teach me how to do those eye beam thingies or maybe the wail. Kidding. I know you'd freak trying to teach me that. I do want to learn it eventually though, no buts. Love you Danny. Stay safe, cuz._

"You remember her. She was in Danny's files. She's his clone. She sent this postcard of herself to him sometime before he was captured. Apparently they have a mutual friend that runs messages back and forth for them. He was recently writing back an answer in his room not long ago."

Clark sighed and looked up from the picture at Bruce. "Why are you telling me this?"

"So you'll realize that a sixteen year old boy is being a better father figure than you are," Bruce replied coldly. "They call each other cousins, but a name is just a name. They're family and that's all that seems to matter to him. He _smiled_ when he talked to me about her, Clark. He's proud of her and if he'd had the opportunity, I'm fairly certain he would've let her into his home."

Clark didn't answer and was instead staring at the young phantom in the picture. She looked to be about Robin's age and had a huge grin stretched across her face. Had Superboy ever smiled like that? More importantly, was the reason he hadn't all his fault?

"You need to ask Danny about it. Let him tell you the whole story, including the parts not summarized on a disk," Bruce spoke up again. He watched as Clark stood up and walked towards the bar.

"I'll take that pie to go," He murmured quietly.

Before long, Bruce was alone and watching his friend walk across the intersection, seemingly dragging his feet a bit. At least he'd gotten the man thinking.

 **Gotham City. August 3, 2010. 21:21 EDT**

Superboy's feet struck the metal top of the train car. He grit his teeth as he stabbed his hands in the steel and tore it back like tin foil. He dropped down inside and was surprised to see a small older man with graying orange hair looking at him.

"Oh, hello."

Superboy snorted. "You? You're Ivo? I'm whelmed."

"You're one to talk," Ivo rebuffed. "Now, since when does the big blue boy scout have a brat?"

Superboy narrowed his eyes as anger gnawed at his stomach and the familiar feeling of shame weighted him down. "He doesn't."

Ivo shrugged dismissively. "Yeah, if you say so." He gestured to the robot monkeys that surrounded him. "Have you met my mobile optimal neural quotient infiltrators?"

They flew at him and Superboy immediately swatted them out of the air like flies, even after they would try to dodge by flying around him.

Ivo sighed. "And after all the trouble I went through finding an acronym for monqi."

Superboy finished destroying the last robot before he heard a robotic voice echo through the car. "Access Captain Atom."

Superboy only saw bright yellow light before he was flung back by the blast of energy and slammed into the back of the car. He struggled to lift himself from the ground as he heard Ivo and something else approach from the darkness.

"Since professor Ivo's magnificent monqis don't float your boat, maybe my amazing Amazo will better suit you or better slay you."

Superboy blinked up at the massive android as it stood over him. He pulled himself to his feet and swiped a bit of saliva from the corner of his mouth. "Give me your best shot."

The monqis snickered and Ivo curled a hand up under his chin. "Please. My android has the strength of Superman. What chance do you have?"

Superboy charged and let out a cry of exertion, frustration, and hurt. _It's true._ "Raaahhh!" He punched various places, being easily blocked at each step. He eventually managed to knock Amazo's head sideways, before it turned back and his hand was caught the clone's latest punch. Superboy nearly felt his legs buckle when the android started to crush his hand.

"Oh, sorry. Did that strike a nerve?" Ivo asked in mock concern, before he face melted into an easy smile. "Amazo, strike a few more."

Amazo slapped Superboy clean across the face and the boy stumbled back a couple steps. "Access Black Canary." The joints in his mouth unhinged and a sonic scream erupted from a cylinder inside. Superboy let out a tortured cry of pain and clasped his ringing ears as he was forced back by the sound waves. He crashed into the back of the car. "Access Flash." Amazo sped forward and delivered several punishing hits to Superboy's torso and face.

Ivo hissed. "Ooh… No wonder daddy keeps you hidden away. You're not really doing justice to the old S shield, are you? Ha!"

Superboy growled and lunged for a right hook only for the android's voice to sound again. "Martian Manhunter." The momentum of Superboy's punch caused him the swing right around and face the other way when his fist slid right through the intangible foe. "Access Superman."

When the punch landed on his jaw, the ringing he was feeling in his ears was accompanied by a ringing in his skull. He flew right through the back of the car and slammed into a front-end loader's scoop. Amazo appeared right in front of him. "Access Superman." He lifted the boy up and gave him one hell of an uppercut that sent him flying across a couple fields. Superboy crashed through the window of a building and bowled into several desks.

Amazo gazed at his creator and Ivo shrugged. "Finish him. Priority Alpha." And with that, Amazo took to the air with a massive jump.

zzz

Danny flew with his arms stretched out in front of him and his tail whipping back and forth next to Robin on the road. Both were in their regular uniforms and had ditched the motorcycle suits, that had had minimal color cues to their hero uniforms.

Kid Flash suddenly appeared to Danny's left, wearing his traditional yellow and red.

"You changed too?" Robin asked.

"You kidding? I feel naked in civvies." Kid shivered. "You still tracking the parts?"

"They were heading through Gotham, but they veered… Wait." Robin paused, with slight surprise registering on his face. Danny lifted a brow. "They're going to Gotham Academy."

zzz

Superboy groaned after he'd been tossed into the lockers. He reached out to grab at one of the now open doors to get a bit of leverage, only to see a picture of Superman inside the locker door. He snarled and punched the metal, bending both the metal and the picture before he ran at Amazo. The android, once more, simply punched him, launching him through another wall and across the room.

As Amazo walked up to his prone form he spat and looked at him. "That all you got?"

"Access Captain Atom." The android's palm came up and aimed a small cannon at Superboy's face. The next coherent moment Superboy could process was his body skipping across a hard wooden floor and hollow thumps accompanying each hit.

He snapped his head up when he saw, to his utter surprise, professor Ivo sitting in the bleachers, clapping. "I don't usually attend these things in person, but heh heh this was too good to miss."

"Access Superman." Amazo rushed forward and proceeded to beat the snot out of Superboy. He couldn't help but let out a weak sounding grunt of exhaustion when he was hit the final time. He was panting on the floor, when suddenly he was swept up and away. He heard the bot's attack crack the wood floor behind them. For a moment, he thought he was going to see Superman when he looked up, perhaps he'd been hit a bit harder than he'd thought. Instead, he saw Kid Flash grinning back at him. He put Superboy down next to Robin and Danny as the boy wonder threw an explosive bird-a-rang.

"Martian Manhunter." The disc shaped projectile flew right through him and exploded. "Access Red Tornado." Winds started to spin around the lower half of his body and as he surged towards the group of teens. Robin, Kid Flash and Superboy were knocked off their feet and flung into the walls. Danny had gone intangible and sunk into the ground to avoid the attack.

Amazo turned and aimed his hand cannon at Kid. "Access Captain Atom." A blast of energy shot at Kid, making a concussive noise echo in the room. Kid turned and bolted away, zipping behind the opposite bleachers for cover.

Danny surged out from the ground and attempted to enter Amazo. Kid Flash peaked out from his cover and grinned when he saw where Danny was heading. Robin groaned and sat up the same time Superboy did, just in time to see Danny slam face first into the android's metal chest and start to spasm.

"Aaaaaaah!" He cried out in agony with green static rippling over his body, before Amazo's voice drowned his out.

"Access Danny Phantom." Again he aimed his cannon and blasted a nearly white beam of ectoplasm. Danny's body tore through the bleachers and smashed into the wall, where he stayed. A bright ring formed around his waist and slid over his form, though his appearance didn't change outwardly.

"What…?" Robin whispered under his breath.

Kid Flash's face grew dark and he shot off towards Amazo. "Access Black Canary." The scream stopped Kid, tore up the wood panels in front of it and flung the speedster back. Superboy ran forward to punch the android but Amazo used Superman's strength to swat him away. Then the robot used Martian Manhunter's shapeshifting to whip his stretched arms and try to smash Robin. The bot noticed Kid Flash running up to him and used Superman's strength to crush him in a deadly squeeze after he'd snatched the boy up.

Kid let out a piercing cry as his chest felt like it was being steam rolled. "Martian Manhunter." Kid felt himself slide out of the intangible arms and he took in a great breath of air.

Robin glanced up from his kneeled position after having dodged the stretchy arms. An arrow pierced the wood beside him and he realized it had been aimed at Amazo.

Superboy ran at Amazo once more and the bot used Black Canary's combat skills to toss Superboy over his shoulder and into the bleachers. Amazo gazed up at Robin and his eyes started to glow. "Access Superman." Kid Flash sped by and yanked Robin out of the way of the beams that would've torn right through his friend like butter. They both struck the ground and rolled several times, leaving Robin and Kid Flash facing each other and panting on the ground.

Amazo looked over at Danny, who was still embedded in the wall and quiet. He stomped over slow and deliberately and outstretched a hand. As soon as it touched his skin, Danny was screaming.

Robin shot up and Kid wasn't too far behind at the cry. Green electricity was cascading down their teammate's body and he was spasming violently.

Superboy tried to crawl up out of the bleacher's and saw Ivo humming to himself. The man glanced at Superboy and shrugged. "What? Did you expect me to let my Amazo get taken from me so easily?"

Superboy glanced around and saw Robin and Kid trying to stand and Danny still screaming. He started to turn and pounce at Ivo in a rage when it happened.

A ring of light formed around Danny's waist at the same time his eyes snapped open. Then he opened his mouth. His screams briefly turned higher pitched, more desperate, and tainted with a haunted moan that hurt far worse than Black Canary's scream had. He saw even Robin and Kid slap hands over their ears at the sound.

The waves of sound slammed into the bleachers and Superboy heard Ivo scream in surprise as the structure collapsed. Superboy let out a shout himself as he struck the ground. He glanced up through the spiral of green and white and heard the noise start to become more distorted and loud, in a deep thrumming way. He wasn't sure if the others could tell, but it sounded like it was steadily entering infrasound frequency and getting lower. The building was starting to tremble slightly.

That was until Amazo was forced backwards and crashed through the remains of the bleachers and into the wall. Danny stopped screaming and dropped to his knees. Another ring of light flared around him as he leaned towards his side.

Kid Flash was there in an instant, saving their friend from a hard hit to the head.

Ivo was pulled from the wreckage by his hands with his monqis help. A bit of blood was trickling down from the man's ear, that Superboy could see. He was fairly surprised to see blood on his own hand when he pulled it away from his ear. Everything felt muffled and garbled. "What a wretched creature. Well at least he's out. Kill them! All of them!" Ivo suddenly screeched, stumbling slightly mid-sentence. Annoyance was coming threw his voice and it seemed that any calm or collected tone he'd had before was lost from the close call.

Amazo turned it's head and locked it's gaze on Kid and Danny. It lifted it's hand. "Access Danny Phantom."

Superboy got there first. He slammed into the side of the android, tackling it full on. "Raaaah!" This caused it's attack to misfire and blow a hole through the ceiling. A wave of guilt surged through Superboy, at the thought that he was failing his friends by being so reckless in his attacks, leaving them to fend for themselves and take up his slack. He growled as the thing slid to a halt and moved to haul itself to its feet.

Robin glanced at the ground in thought. "Intangibly is never complete unless it's by a ghost or other being that's tied to a separate dimension-" Robin's eyes widened as an idea struck him. He looked over at Kid who was trying to wake Danny up by smacking his face lightly. The boy wonder ran over as Superboy continued to keep the android busy.

"Come on, man. Wake up!" Kid yelped and tapped the ghost's cheek lightly.

"Listen, I have an idea," Robin spoke and kneeled. He slipped something small from his belt and held it under Danny's nose. The boy suddenly jerked awake and nearly head butted Kid's jaw, though the speedster was able to dodge quick enough.

"Wha-?"

"Easy, Casper," Robin teased.

Danny blinked and leaned up, rubbing his head. "Oooh… I feel like a bag of suck right now."

"No surprise there, listen though. We still have a problem," Robin spoke, gathering Danny's attention. The boy looked over at saw the damage on the other side of the room, as well as Superboy get slammed into the ground.

"Did Amazo do that?"

"Dude!" Kid yelped and looked at Danny in confusion. "YOU did that! I had no idea that wail of yours was so-"

"Destructive?" Robin finished.

Danny blinked and then swallowed. "I don't even remember doing it."

"It was sorta a self-preservation move. Amazo was trying to fry you," Kid explained.

"Focus time, chat later," Robin snapped quickly. "We need to get Superboy's fist into that thing's head or something."

"Uh, dude. We've been trying to do that the entire time," Kid complained.

"No, I mean-"

"He means while it's changing from Martian Manhunter to something else?" Danny asked.

Robin nodded excitedly and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Can you distract him?"

Danny smirked. "Got it. Round two." He shot into the air as a ring of light formed for the fourth time. He shot at the robot's back causing it to stumble once before it could attack Superboy again. The teen paused when he saw Danny flying that way. The ghost started to dart into the air and fire from a distance as well as dodge new attacks from Amazo.

"We're trying to get him to use Manhunter's intangibility, then plant your fist in that thing's head before it turns solid." Superboy perked up when he heard Robin's voice whisper to him. A smile crept across his face and he planted his feet.

Robin then threw another disc when Danny had managed to blast it in the arm it was using to defend itself. Due to feeling like it was being overwhelmed, Amazo used Manhunter's intangibility to dodge the disc and let the beam of ecto-energy pass through him. This was his chance. Superboy rushed forward and halted his punch halfway through the thing's head right as it announced it was switching to Superman. When it turned solid, it sparked once before the head exploded. Amazo fell flat onto its back as Superboy was tossed backwards by the blast.

Danny let out a sigh and dropped his raised arms as Robin ran forward. "Help me disassemble him now!"

Kid Flash planted his hands on his hips. "Dude." He gestured to the bot with one hand. "The guy has no head."

"Don't take any chances," Aqualad responded as both he and M'gann burst into the gymnasium.

The martian immediately helped Superboy to his feet. "Superboy, are you all right?"

Superboy smiled a bit, knowing that she could see blood smeared on his chin even though his ears had begun healing earlier, and glanced at Robin. "I'm fine. Feeling the aster." Robin gave a smirk at that.

"Crap!"

Everyone looked up and saw Danny glancing around. He looked at them all. "Where the heck is Ivo!?"

The others glanced around, only to see no sign of the evil genius.

 **Mount Justice. August 4, 2010. 01:06 EDT.**

Batman, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Red Tornado, and Green Arrow stood before the Team as Aqualad gave them their report.

"The Amazo android is in pieces again, safely being analyzed at the two separate S.T.A.R. labs, but Ivo escaped. Since he originated the tech, he's arguably more dangerous than the android."

"Capturing the professor will be a League priority," Canary expressed.

Manhunter looked up at the teens. "But we understand your mission encountered other complications."

The teens all looked a bit nervous, Superboy looked away awkwardly and Danny shuffled his feet. Both of them were roughly thinking about their behavior and nearly severely injuring both the team and a criminal, respectively.

Batman was surprisingly their saving grace. "Complications come with the job. Your ability to handle them has impressed the League."

"The whole League?" Superboy asked and looked up, hating himself a bit for continuously falling into the same trap of hoping.

"Given time, yes. Kryptonians, as you know, have very hard heads." Superboy smiled a bit at that before Batman continued. "Of course, there's no shame in asking for help. That's why the League exists, because there are some problems even we can't handle individually."

Robin suddenly frowned as a memory resurfaced in his mind. "Please. If we needed help, we'd never get the chance to ask." Robin pulled out an arrow from his belt. "Look familiar? You were following us! Babysitting! You still don't trust us."

Green Arrow took the arrow and studied it as Batman responded to the accusation. "We didn't follow you." Arrow then pulled out one of his own arrows from his quiver. He lined them up to show the teens that the heads didn't match.

"And that's… not your arrow," Robin expressed confusedly. "But that means-"

"Speedy!" Kid Flash declared happily.

"He has our backs," Aqualad finished with a smile.

Kid sped to Arrow and snatched the arrow out of his hand. "Souvenir!" Batman and Green Arrow briefly exchanged a silent look.

Canary looked to her left, after she'd heard someone clear their throat, to see Superboy approach her. "I'm ready."

Canary smiled. "Good, because I'm here."

Danny walked up beside Superboy and nodded. "And you just know I need more human-half help."

Canary smirked. "You're doing fine." She looked over them before locking eyes with the other teens. "How about we resume class in six days."

The teens nodded in acceptance as the Leaguers started to make their way to the zeta beams or the second floor in Red Tornado's case. Batman walked up to Danny.

"I will do some research regarding how Ivo managed to get a hold of ghost technology. I was also going to inform you that your parents finished building the portal while you were all on your mission. It's complete and your parents left you a few instructions. They're in your room along with that other item I borrowed from you."

Danny nodded. "Wow, okay. Thanks, Batman." The dark knight nodded, gave Robin a look, and then started to walk towards the zeta beams as well.

"Sweet! The portal's done. Are we allowed to go in?" Kid asked.

Danny hummed. "I hadn't asked yet. I did want to check on a friend sometime soon." He paused and looked at the others. "I just, want to warn you that there are some ghosts in there that are dead people."

The others grew a bit quiet at that.

Danny sighed. "I understand if you're… scared or disturbed. It's… I don't wanna say that it's not that bad, but…"

"Heh, you mean like bed-sheets and banshees?" Kid joked. "Well, anyways. I've got to go. I'll see you guys soon!" In a blink of the eye he was gone and the computer announced his departure.

"Batman wanted me," Robin said a bit quietly, but gave a smile. "See you guys later."

"Sleep well," Aqualad offered before following after the boy wonder.

Danny, Superboy and M'gann stood silently in the mission room. M'gann could feel more concentrated sadness drifting off of Danny. "Danny?"

"It's fine. I'm used to it." Danny blew out a breath and let his transformation drop so that blue eyes and black hair were offered to the two now. "Most people that aren't from Amity just don't get it and I mean my parents have been talking to me and teaching me about ghosts and death since I was barely able to walk."

"We're not afraid of you or uncomfortable around you. I thought that was obvious. You were being controlled," Superboy responded gruffly.

Danny grunted. "I guess."

"I think we're only uneasy because of the idea of death, not you Danny," M'gann expressed, growing uncomfortable at the use of the word.

Danny looked up at her and hummed. "Yeah. I never thought of it like that before. Maybe that's the same reason so many people in Amity still feared me."

"I'm sure of it. You're a wonderful person and friend," M'gann expressed, causing Danny to smile weakly. Superboy even nodded in agreement.

"Thanks guys. Look… I wasn't going to tell anyone, but I was planning on visiting the Ghost Zone tomorrow."

Superboy and M'gann both rose their brows.

"I wanted to check on things and visit a friend of mine. I'd imagine she wouldn't know if I'm okay or not, given that Sam and Tucker at least checked a few places in the Zone when I disappeared. Do you, want to come? Do you want to see my world? It's not as… well… you know."

M'gann and Superboy exchanged a look before M'gann smiled and nodded. "Yes. I'm curious."

Superboy shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Danny seemed to perk up and he grinned. "Great! You'll even get to fly, Superboy."

At that, Superboy's face looked stunned.

* * *

 **Hoped you liked my version of this episode. I especially liked reworking the talk between Bruce and Clark.**

 **Any questions I haven't answered from the reviews will be answered in the next chapter.**

 **Until next time!**


	8. The HereAfter

**Whelp, this is the end of the buffer guys. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out. School's got it's hold on me and I have other stories I need to give attention to again.**

 **I'll be here though. So feel free to PM and see what's up, that or always check out my PROFILE page. It has info on what's up for all my stories. I even update it with dates from time to time to show specifically when I alter the update section of my profile.**

 **Alright, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Amity Park.**

"Hey, I'm home!" Danny smiled as he walked through the FentonWorks door. He passed the couch and let his backpack slide off his shoulder.

"Oh hey sweetie! How was school?" Maddie asked, leaning out of the kitchen.

Danny cocked his head. "You're in the kitchen, at four?"

"I thought you'd need a snack when you got home. I'm about done. You okay? I saw that giant goo ghost you fought today."

Danny froze, for a moment, forgetting. Then he let out a sigh. That's right, she knew. "Yeah. I'm fine." He wouldn't mention the few bruises that were still getting smaller by the second.

At that moment, Maddie walked out into the main room and gave Danny a nice warm hug. His first reaction was to flinch, to tense from close contact that wasn't from someone that was originally 'safe', like Sam, Tucker, or Jazz. But then, Danny relaxed, happy to feel his mother's warmth seep into his body.

Then a wisp of cold air exploded from his mouth and he flinched back, looking his mother in the eyes. "Whelp looks like someone's causing trouble." She merely smiled at him as he turned and transformed. Danny smiled back at her as he turned invisible and phased out of the house. A short trip down the street gave him the answers he needed. A squid ghost he'd fought several types before was yanking people from their homes with his tentacles and watching them scream in fear.

Danny appeared before everyone and glared at the squid. "Hey, Captain Calamari!" The squid jerked his head up to eye Danny and hissed. He blinked when he heard people cheer, even those in the grasp of the squid gave him a hopeful glance. His core thrummed and he felt his aura flicker excitedly, making him wonder if anyone noticed its reaction.

He thought he saw familiar colors from some familiar heroes appear while he was fighting. But the cheering, the wholeness he felt...

zzz

Danny blinked, then he blinked again. The ceiling continued to stare back at him. He was at Mount Justice, not Amity Park. He had his fans, but people didn't like him that much, not yet. Danny stretched, a bit of disappointment rolling through him. It wasn't often he had nice dreams. A grin then split his face; he needed to go see what M'gann and Superboy were up to.

 **Mount Justice. August 6, 2010. 10:16 EDT.**

"Hey, Superboy."

Superboy's eyes snapped open and he let out a startled grunt before he flopped right off his bed. He lifted the covers from his face and saw Danny halfway through his door and looking a little pale.

"Oops… Didn't mean to… Wait." Danny paused for a long time and Superboy finally rose a brow. "I scared you." Superboy froze as a sly smile spread across Danny's face. "Ha! I actually spooked someone!"

"You did not-"

"The look that was on your face said otherwise! Yes! I've got to brag to Tucker about that later…"

Superboy grumbled and wished he could burn a hole in the door next to Danny with heat vision. Of course he couldn't physically do that, so he settled for something a bit better. "RAH!" He shouted loudly. Danny gasped in surprise at the sudden shout and flopped back out of the doorway he was half-phased through. A smirk wormed its way onto Superboy's face.

"You didn't scare me." He heard the muffled response from the other side of the door.

"Your face said otherwise." He pulled himself up when he heard Danny moan.

"Now I can't brag to Tucker. It doesn't count anymore…"

Superboy slid his door open to see Danny on the other side standing and scratching his scalp. "What was it you wanted?"

"Oh! We're going to the Ghost Zone, remember?" Danny expressed.

"Oh, right." Superboy blinked and then M'gann floated up.

"Morning guys. I see you finally woke up the sleepy head," M'gann giggled and looked at Superboy who looked a bit embarrassed.

Danny grinned. "Yeah. You all ready?"

"Yep!" M'gann nodded. "Unless we want to eat something before we go."

Danny's stomach suddenly grumbled and he blushed. "Uh, yeah. Good idea."

After having a quick breakfast and leaving a message on the Cave's computer should Red Tornado or anyone else wonder where they'd headed off to, the three teens found themselves in front of the Ghost Portal.

Two large grey bars were slid across the front of the black and yellow doors. Danny pulled a piece of paper out from his belt and read over it quickly.

"Huh, they really did add a few changes. I don't even have to worry about the Cave blowing up if I forgot the ecto-purifier."

M'gann and Superboy exchanged a glance at that.

"Okay, let's see." Danny, now in Phantom form, flew over to the nearby control panels. "Pull back the bars."

The teens watched as something clicked and the two large bars were cranked back.

"Open the door." The two yellow and black doors broke away from each other, revealing a blue shield. "And bringing down the polarity shield." The blue energy shield flickered out of sight and Danny smiled. It wouldn't stop most ghosts from attacking Earth because only about a third of his enemies ever used the man-made portal to appear on earth anymore and, as Robin had mentioned once before, natural portals had become more common after the man-made portals had started up. But, the security measures would help protect the Cave at least. Danny picked up a small device with a single button on it.

"What's that?" M'gann asked.

"It'll close the doors and bring up the shield again when we go inside," Danny answered. He then walked over towards the green glowing expanse and looked back at the other two teens. "Ready?"

Superboy and M'gann looked at each other and then Danny before nodding and walking forward. They reached the green swirling circle and M'gann reached out first. "It just feels like air."

"It's practically the same as the sky, only green instead of blue," Danny explained. Superboy watched as Danny floated out and spun. "You can fly here, Superboy. Gravity isn't as strict."

M'gann floated out and looked around. "Wow, this is pretty incredible, Danny."

Superboy frowned a bit before he finally marched forward and got to the edge. Then, he glanced down and saw something like an endless abyss of green below. "What's below?"

Danny paused in his loops and dynamic floating at the question. "Hm… Not sure. I think There's a few graveyards down there. No one personable that's for sure."

Superboy grunted dismissively and finally just stepped off. He nearly expected to just start falling, but he didn't. He was actually flying. He tried to ignore the giant smile Danny was giving him.

"Eh? Eh!?" Danny pushed, feeling success at seeing a twitch of Superboy's lips. He was trying not to smile. "Told ya!" He then pressed the button and the portal vanished. "Huh, no wonder the ghosts haven't been able to figure out where it is." Danny smirked and twirled his handheld opener. "Thanks to my trusty garage door opener for ghost portals."

"Seriously?" Superboy questioned bluntly, though not quite as gruff as normal, seeing as he was actually flying.

M'gann only laughed a bit.

"Okay, onwards to Princess Dora's domain!" Danny declared and flew off a bit. M'gann and Superboy were right on his tail.

"A princess!? Why didn't you warn me? Oh, what should I morph into?" M'gann asked desperately.

"Whoa, easy Megan. Dora's cool. There's no need to freak out. She'll be more fascinated with seeing a martian than what you're wearing," Danny soothed cheerfully.

"Really? How did you meet a princess?" M'gann questioned. Superboy looked at Danny as well, listening for a story.

Danny smiled. "Well, before Dora ruled her kingdom, it was a dark place. Her brother ruled that realm with an iron fist and kept time still. They were forever stuck in the middle ages. He saw women as inferior and was pretty verbally abusive to Dora. Then one day, Aragon decided he wanted a human bride-"

Danny continued the story as he flew. Afterwards, he pointed in a few directions and talked about what he knew was that way. Eventually, they arrived at the palace and landed at the front gate.

M'gann and Superboy tensed instinctually when they saw the two tall guards in metal armor at their posts. Danny walked up casually and waved. "Uh, hey. I'm Sir Phantom. Princess Dora knows me."

One guard looked down as though he was bored at first before his red eyes locked onto Danny's person. "Oh my. The knight that helped free us from Aragon's enslavement?"

Danny fidgeted. "Uh, I guess. Oh and friends!"

The guard glanced back at M'gann and Superboy, who both gave their own awkward wave and a nod.

"But of course! Richard will take you to her majesty, however, I will inform you that she is entertaining a guest from another kingdom," The guard expressed.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, I hope you enjoy your stay, Sir Phantom!"

The three walked through the entrance as a small squire approached. "This way sirs and ma'am."

M'gann couldn't help but smile at the cultural experience and Superboy was more intrigued by looking around and taking in the sights. The G-nomes had never taught him anything about this after all. The squire led them past a bizarre, a town square, shops within huts, and then finally to the entrance to the castle. They walked across the red and lush carpet and found themselves watching a small woman with blonde hair and red eyes sitting on a throne, talking with a large snowbeast of some sort that rested in a second provided chair.

"Who's the snow-man?" Superboy whispered to Danny. The ghost leaned over and whispered back.

"Beats me."

"Announcing Sir Phantom and allies," the squire, Richard, declared before bowing and moving out of the way.

Dora's gaze snapped to them at the same time as the snowbeast's. Dora floated up quickly as though she'd jumped to her feet and flew rapidly into Danny, embracing him.

"Oh Sir Phantom! I was so worried. I'm so glad to see you are well, or-" She paused and pulled him back an arms distance to look him over. "Are you still among the living or have you…"

Danny smiled. "Still ticking." He tapped the place his heart was and Dora smiled.

"Oh good. When Lady Samantha and Sir Tucker came, asking if we'd heard anything about your whereabouts, I was consumed with worry. What in the name of the realms happened to you?"

Danny patted the woman's hand. "Don't worry. I'll tell you everything at some point, but I was kidnapped. I was nearly made into a weapon I guess, but very good people, humans, saved me. They're a group of heroes. Because of what happened, I can't go home, but my friends and family know I'm okay."

"Well, I feel terrible that you were forced from your haunt, but I'm thanking the ancients that your safe."

Danny smiled. "Thank you, Dora." He gestured to Superboy and M'gann and smiled. "I wanted you to meet a couple of the people that saved me. They're my good friends."

M'gann zoomed forward and curtsied. "Hello princess Dora. It's an honor to meet you." Dora held out a hand and the two shook.

"This is M'gann. She's a martian from Mars."

Dora perked up. "Oh really? So she comes from the red haze?"

Danny blanked. "The what now?"

"I believe, young one, she is referring to the many hazes of color that extend throughout all of the infinite realms. The specific hue of red Dora speaks of matches that of Mars on the flip-side of the Zone. After all, the Ghost Zone and Mortal Realms are opposites of each other. One cannot exist without the other."

The ghosts and mortals looked up to see the snow beast wander down the steps. He had a large muzzle, white fur, icy horns, an ice arm that coated the remaining bones within, a spiny tail, and a blue toga covering his form.

"Really? There's separations in the Zone that represent planets?" Danny asked, intrigued.

The beast nodded and held out both hands. "It depends on the galaxy or planet, but concentrations of particular identities and spirits exist in pockets. For example, a unicorn is a ghost that you may find easily within the green haze, while a very different looking and quite alien creature may exist in the red haze. I wouldn't know an example as I've never been there myself, but maybe M'gann could tell you of some mythological creature her people believe or believed in."

"Oh! Really?"

"Maybe it's like different purgatories or something," Danny murmured to himself.

"Who are you?" Superboy asked calmly, before he backtracked and stumbled over his words. "I'm uh, Superboy by the way."

Dora chuckled. "A pleasure to meet you, Superboy."

The snow-beast let out a jolly chuckle before he kneeled before Danny, who looked confused.

"I am Frostbite, leader of the Far Frozen. My people are large snow creatures that make their home not far from here. It is an honor to finally meet the one that defeated the dread king, Pariah Dark." Frostbite bowed his head slightly. "I thank you for your supreme act of bravery, oh Great One."

"Great One?" Danny eeped out.

"Of course!" Frostbite expressed and looked on. "You saved all worlds and the infinite realms themselves, how could one such as you not be great?"

"I… uh…"

M'gann and Superboy's eyebrows looked like they were going to rise off of their heads. They didn't know as much about Danny's ghost files as Robin and the League seemed to, but that sounded like a story worth hearing.

Frostbite chuckled. "And modest, how wonderful." He stood back up to his full height.

Danny laughed a bit nervously before looking at Dora. "Were you two in the middle of anything?"

Dora shook her head. "Not much. I'm nervous about leading a kingdom. I wanted some advice and I knew Frostbite was an very honorable and respectful being and would be willing to give me honest and good information."

"Oh! Well thanks for that. Dora definitely deserves help and a chance to rule this place the right way," Danny spoke up to Frostbite.

Frostbite nodded. "I am honored by your praise, Great One."

Danny looked a bit uneasy before he faced Dora. "I was just coming to visit and tell you I was alright. That and let my friends see the Ghost Zone for a bit."

"Well I'm forever happy that you are well. Do come visit again," Dora expressed happily. "And it was a delight to meet you, M'gann, Superboy."

"Thank you, princess Dora," M'gann replied.

"Please dear, Dora is fine. You are friends with my honorable knight after all," Dora responded and smiled at Danny who blushed and scratched his head.

The three turned to walk off when Frostbite's voice stopped them. "Great One, if I may be so bold. I sense something within you."

The three turned right around at that. "What?" Danny asked in confusion.

Frostbite lumbered forward and kneeled for a second time. He held a clawed finger out towards Danny's chest. "May I?"

Danny took a breath. "I guess?"

Frosbite nodded and gently pressed the claw tip to Danny's center. At that touch, a small puff of icy wind blew across Frostbite's face and he smiled. "You have the ability to control ice."

"I… wait what!?" Danny asked in confusion. "Why?"

"I am not certain why… It is a good question. However, there is no doubt that you can create ice from your central core. Tell me, do you ever have cold air escape from your mouth or a chill go down your spine when an enemy ghost in nearby?"

Danny mouth dropped open and he stumbled over his next words. "Oh well I uh… I might have a kinda ghost sense… thing. Yeah."

Frostbite chuckled. "It is nothing to worry about. It just means you have a wonderful ability. I would suggest training it soon. You might find yourself freezing solid otherwise. The cold energy will build up and start to seep out."

"Train?" Danny questioned, feeling a lump form in his chest, a tight knot of anxiety. Where would he find someone to teach him? He didn't think Vlad could do this, and of course, Vlad. No. "Where will I find someone to-"

Frostbite held out a hand and a small crystal of ice formed and shaped itself before their eyes. "My people have known of this power for eons. I would be honored to teach you as much as I know. If you are too busy now, you still have a few weeks before the frost starts to really show itself. You only need to come before then. Once you can easily control the power, you may choose to come for further study or practice on your own at your pleasure."

"Really? Just like that?" Danny asked.

Frostbite chuckled. "We'll prepare a feast! If that would suit you more."

Danny chuckled nervously. "Nah, that's uh, good. And thanks."

"No thanks necessary," Frosbite replied before nodding to the two mortals. "Good travels to you. Any friend of the Great One is welcome in the land of the Far Frozen." He then passed a worn brown map to Danny. "This will lead you to my domain for the purposes of your first visit. Until then."

When Superboy asked Danny why it was only helpful for the first visit, Danny explained that places in the Ghost Zone could drift and sometimes mortals could get lost without proper guidance. He further explained that ghosts could find the lairs of their allies through an internal sense once they'd visited at least once. Other places could technically be stumbled upon but if you bothered the being residing there it was unlikely you would find it in the same place during your next visit; everything depended greatly on the state of the owner of the lair or realm, so Danny's own personal maps of the more stable landmarks were helpful but could never be very detailed or remain forever accurate. The three teens flew away from Dora's after that. Before long, they found themselves at a nice floating rock in the middle of the expanse. They sat on it and were still.

"And now the final attraction," Danny expressed and leaned back against the stone. The other two followed suit and gazed into the green sky. At first there was nothing, but slowly, they started to see ghosts pass by. Some were plain and blobby looking, others more human and from different periods, and still others that looked like animals or other intriguing things. They would float by or overhead, mostly ignoring the teens in favor of heading to whatever destination was on their mind. Danny even got to point out a small group of orange jellyfish. He had no clue what they were, but they were pretty cool looking.

It was peaceful, in a weird way. Sure they were dead people, and some seemed a bit sad, but at the same time, there was an acceptance and understanding that came to them. A gentleman even tipped his hat to them as he floated past. It seemed to honestly be just another beginning, not the end.

The strange calmness was interrupted by a harsh voice cutting through the atmosphere.

"There you are, whelp!"

Danny's face deadpanned. "Well crap."

 **Poseidonis, Atlantis. August 6, 2010. 14:16 UTC-03**

It wasn't that he'd never thought of death or that he could possibly die. It was just that he'd never thought hard about what would or could happen after he inevitably closed his eyes.

In Atlantis they didn't really worship any particular deity. Mostly their eyes were set on sciences whether of mystic nature or not. For those that did worship, there were a few various choices that ranged from Poseidon himself to more elemental creatures of the water, like Naiad or the great serpent, Leviathan.

He sat before a small alter on the outside of the city-state. It was a place mourners could come and have time to themselves. They did not have graves, as most bodies were released into the great chasms that lead towards the very bottom of the ocean. He was glad no one was there, seeing as someone might ask who had died.

He hadn't really thought about any of this when Danny had first joined them. One could pretend that he was simply a human with powers due to his very alive other half. Even when Danny had talked very briefly about his death, it had not really sunk in. He supposed it started to when Freakshow had taken over Danny's free will and harshly reminded them of the actual frightening part of what it meant to face a ghost, to face death.

Something that cannot be seen, something that cannot be touched, something that chases you until you can find no further means to escape. He didn't even realize how fast his heart was beating until that moment and he took a calming pause to collect himself. It had been when Danny had reminded him, _them_ , about what the Ghost Zone actually was, that it had really bothered him the most.

Perhaps he should be happy that there was something else after this. He wasn't sure why that would bother him. It was all such a heavy topic that was hard to touch or face head-on. He did feel a bit guilty that he'd turned down Danny's kind offer. He could only imagine what he might feel like. Aquaman had told him once, long before Danny had come into their midst, that the people of Phantom's town, feared him. It would be disturbing to try to help someone, only for them to scream, rather than give you a semi-relieved look or a smile of gratitude. It had been uncomfortable for the first heroes, and there would always be those that had troubling trusting heroes, but it seemed to be a slightly steeper uphill battle for someone like Danny. And Kaldur knew he didn't deserve that.

He stood up quickly, finally setting his mind at ease with a solution. It was an adventure then that he'd share with Danny and his other friends. Danny's parents had given the world and maybe even more than just their planet, the opportunity to really think more about their existence. Whether it ended up being earth-shattering or just another world to understand, he would experience it with his Team.

He would no longer let his hesitancy and fear for a concept he'd always known, cause discomfort for another. He would face this challenge as he did all others.

 **Gotham City. August 6, 2010. 11:16 EDT.**

 _Knock. Knock._ "Come on, come on…" Wally muttered in annoyance. He went to knock again after a minute, only for the door to open and Dick to be standing there with a smirk on his face.

"You do realize, I can't get to the door fast enough for you, right?" Dick questioned.

"Yeah, yeah. I forget you're so painfully slow, sue me." Wally huffed and trotted inside.

"So, what's up?" Dick asked.

Wally hummed. "I was hungry. Thought I'd raid Wayne Manor for some cookies or other treats."

"Cookies will be ready in ten minutes, Master Wallace."

Wally grunted. "Why does he refuse to call me Wally? He calls you Dick instead of Richard, why not Wally?"

"I think it's because Master Wally sounds… weird," Dick expressed.

Wally rolled his eyes before something perked his interest. "Wait. Why is Alfie making cookies now? It's almost lunch."

Dick let out a sigh and walked over to plop down on a nearby couch. "M'm not feeling whelmed right now. Alfred offered to bake me some."

"What's the matter, amigo?" Wally asked and trotted over.

Dick shrugged. "I don't know…"

Wally grumped slightly before he plopped down in a chair across from his friend. He had a feeling his friend definitely knew. "Uh-huh…"

Dick looked over at Wally with a icy blue glare before sinking deeper into the couch. "I've been kinda in a funk since the other day."

Wally's mind raced to try and figure out what Dick was hinting at. Dick glanced over at the kitchen before looking back at Wally. He gestured for him to come over and in a split second, Wally was next to him on the couch leaning his ear closer to hear what Dick had to say.

"I haven't really even explained fully to Bruce or Alfred yet. I just told them I was missing my parents n' stuff. Ya know…"

Wally nodded softly and let his eyes slide over to look at his friend, since he'd been facing forward. Dick fidgeted.

"Was it because Danny mentioned the portal?"

"Yeah… I just. I guess I kept trying to pretend that ghosts aren't, you know."

"Yeah, but do you really buy that stuff?"

Dick grunted in exasperation. "Wally, I told you. Batman and I looked over the general theories, the files, everything. It's a science and it's _real_."

A silence came between them before Wally finally spoke up. "Are you afraid you'd see them or something?"

"The theories say that ghosts who are trapped spirits have to have deep regret or an obsession to cause them to stick around. I don't know, what if they felt guilty or… something."

Wally let out a sigh. He'd heard Dick's voice tremble the tiniest bit, and he probably only caught it because of how slow everything was to him, but he wouldn't advertise that. "I think you're over thinking it, dude."

"Probably," Dick replied plainly and without much emotion.

"Look, to be honest. It kinda freaks me out a little."

"Oh I know. I could tell by the way you played Danny's comment off so easily. I mean seriously, bed-sheets and banshees? It was kinda obvious," Dick expressed with a tiny smirk.

Wally's face was void of humor. "Funny. Point is, if your folks were sticking around I think they would've come or something. Maybe you could even ask Danny more about it. He has full-ghost friends. Maybe they know more about this stuff."

"Yeah," Dick murmured. Another silence passed between them before Dick continued. "I never really thought about ghosts in this way before. I mean there's Gentleman Ghost, but he's kinda an outlier because he's cursed by magic or something. That and he's technically only a level two ghost according to the scale."

"Meh, it's just left over bio-electricity or something. Some type of energy that captures the informational impulses of general memories and emotions and results in a ghost. Danny's DNA mutated from the exposure," Wally explained and stretched back.

"You really are still not sold on the ghost thing, are you?"

"Nope."

Dick chuckled. "Fine. Fine." After that, Alfred came with the cookies and he had to snatch four of them before Wally could scarf down the other twelve. As he sat, listening to his friend eat and nibbling his own treat, Dick thought a bit more about various things.

He could feel that the Team was getting closer every time they came together. Superboy was starting to feel more like he was truly wanted and in general everyone was adjusting at a good pace. He could tell that Danny still felt a bit isolated for a few reasons, but felt that things would eventually work out, right? He had to talk to Danny like Wally had suggested, at some point, but for now he wouldn't let his own little existential crisis get in the way of a good friendship. Regardless of what he felt about ghosts, Danny was Danny, he'd already been aware and convicted of that when he'd offered to snap Danny out of his trance.

Wally suddenly pulled up a hand as though to flick his ear. With a smirk, Dick caught his friend's wrist. "Nice try."

"Dang it! I thought I had you this time…"

Dick scoffed, "As if." He jumped up off the couch. "Hey, what do you say we check the Cave and see if everyone's up for a movie night slash sleep over? It'll be a good way for you to end your summer."

Wally groaned. "Why did you have to remind me about that, Dick? Whyyyyyy?"

"Aw come on… You know you want to. I bet Danny and M'gann will make you fooood!" Dick answered and pulled at Wally's arms.

Sometimes Wally forgot that Dick was two years younger than him, he usually only remembered when he saw him as Dick and not Robin or when he, on the rare occasion, had to carry him. There was also, like now, when he would try to pull him up from the couch. He knew the boy could do it, but when he was just playing around, he was reminded in those small moments.

"Fine, spoiled boy."

"I'm not spoiled!"

"Would you like me to inform Master Bruce about where you will be spending the evening, sir?" Alfred asked, appearing literally right behind them, making both, even Dick, jump slightly.

Wally gave the younger boy a sly grin and Dick grunted in annoyance. "That doesn't count."

"Sure it doesn't… _Master_ Dick."

"Ugh!"

zzz

Alfred walked down the steps into the Batcave, easily finding Bruce where he knew he'd be. "Any luck, sir?"

Bruce grumbled as he looked over the files on his computer. He rubbed his red eyes slightly as the elderly butler walked up beside him. "I have a theory, but there's no physical proof he's involved. There's no connection as to why he'd provide Ivo with that technology. Unless he simply knew Phantom was on that team. There's just too many inconsistencies and not enough things making sense." Bruce hummed. "Not to mention I need to talk to Danny about the tentative plans the League have formed regarding possibly getting him back home."

"I'm sure you'll figure out something. You always do."

"Mhm."

"I was going to inform you that Master Dick has gone to spend the night with his teammates at the Cave."

Bruce nodded as he clicked on another news article. "Thank you, Alfred."

"Please do consider coming up to eat something soon. That or a tired old man will have to climb up and down these stairs again."

Bruce froze and looked up at his father figure who was merely cocking a brow. Bruce cocked a brow right back.

"I thought perhaps guilt would be the ticket."

Bruce huffed out a single laugh. "Fine, fine. I'm coming." He practically heard the smirk on Alfred's face as he walked away. Bruce let out a breath and rose, right before he noticed a message. He nodded in approval. The order of weapons and equipment for the League and Team was ready for pickup at S.T.A.R. labs.

 **Mount Justice. August 6, 2010. 14:16 EDT.**

"So wait, they went into the Ghost Zone, without us!?" Wally expressed in dismay.

"We did have things that we were occupied with. They just went in while we were away," Kaldur expressed.

"Yeah, we'll take the next trip," Robin grinned.

At that moment, they heard a loud racket from down the hall. The three dropped their bags and things and ran down that way. As they neared the room with the Ghost Portal, they plastered themselves to either side of the door. Robin was the first to peak in. He blinked.

Superboy was groaning on the ground, face first. He tried to lift his head up, but M'gann suddenly tumbled out of the glowing green portal and slammed into his back, cracking her forehead against the back of his.

"Ouch!" She yelped and Superboy tried to look back at her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just-"

"And by the way, I think you're compensating for something with that metal suit of yours!" Danny had appeared outside of the portal and fired a blast inside the green veil. His eyes widened comically and he ducked. A giant glowing green blade shot from the portal and stuck into the wall next to Wally's head.

"Holy-!" Wally gasped.

Danny jabbed his thumb down on a button and the portal was suddenly shut down, shield, doors, bars, and all. Everyone collectively heard a loud thump on the other side.

"He is so going to make my day hell next time he sees me," Danny murmured.

"Okay, explanation?" Robin asked expectantly.

Danny looked over his shoulder and waved. "Oh, heyyyy…" He paused, remembering he'd been asked a question. "Uh, we were just minding our own business, floating on a nice rock in the Zone, watching ghosts pass by and Skulker decided to ruin the moment."

Superboy and M'gann had both righted themselves and Superboy glanced up at Danny. "How do you deal with him? He never stops talking and bragging."

Danny let out a long labored sigh. "Yeah, now imagine him coming to visit five or six times a day, once before school, twice during classes, once after school and then a time or two in the middle of the night."

"I'd imagine you became quickly underwhelmed," Robin expressed with a smirk.

"Let's just say I _used_ to flinch when someone said they wanted to skin me or cut my head off," Danny muttered and touched down on the lab floor. He transformed and placed a hand on either of Superboy and M'gann's shoulders. "So, what'd ya think?"

"It was fascinating and your friends were wonderful!" M'gann expressed.

"It's kind of like a time capsule," Superboy muttered.

"We will definitely have to join you next time," Kaldur commented with a smile.

Danny blinked a bit before a hopeful smile split his face. "Maybe sometime we'll go when Dora's having a ball."

"A ball?" Wally asked.

M'gann giggled. "Danny's friend's with a princess."

"Totally gruntled," Robin smirked.

Danny snorted. "That sounds like something you need to see about."

"So wait," Wally zoomed up and threw an arm around Danny's shoulders. "A princess? Is she cute?"

"Uh, she's over a thousand years old and can turn into a giant fire breathing dragon when she's angry."

Wally withered a bit and Robin started laughing into his hand. Danny laughed a bit too. "What's up anyways, do we have a mission or something?"

"Actually, we came for a movie marathon," Robin declared.

"Oh yeah?" Danny asked.

"Oh oh! I'll make the popcorn," M'gann expressed.

The teens all got ready to watch movies. Before long they were all on the couch and Danny had snagged a big blanket to cover himself with.

"Robinnnnn… Stop trying to keep the popcorn away!" Wally whined.

"Then stop trying to take popcorn faster than we can blink," Robin replied with a very mature raspberry.

"Just don't get that in the popcorn, thanks," Danny murmured. He then smirked and turned his arm intangible and slipped some popcorn out from the bottom of the bowl.

"Danny! I saw that! The popcorn level dropped!" Robin snapped.

"I really don't know what your talking about-" Robin tossed the blanket that was on Danny in the air at that moment, surprising everyone until they all saw Danny's arm held out and missing below the elbow. "Uh… It's not what you think?"

"Yeah okay, you became an amputee within the last four seconds," Wally snarked.

Danny only grinned nervously. He yelped when the bowl was suddenly lifted up into the air with a bit of swirling water supporting it.

"Kaldur!"

M'gann grinned and halted it in the air with her own telekinesis. Thus began a war between too sides of the couch in which everyone was cheering for either Kaldur or M'gann. Superboy and Danny naturally chose M'gann on their side, while Robin and Wally chanted for Kaldur. When Superboy started to chant for M'gann however, she lost focus and the bowl and the water underneath smashed into Kaldur's face.

Everyone was quiet as the bowl dropped off the atlantean's face and left behind bits of popcorn and water all over him. He picked a piece off of himself and threw it in his mouth. "I've never understood why land-dwellers don't like soggy popcorn."

The others glanced at each other before most of them burst into laughter, while Superboy smiled. Danny reached over and picked a piece up from the couch, before Robin and Wally saw the water fade off of it with a touch of intangibility. Danny popped the newly dried piece in his mouth as he leaned back lazily. "S'not soggy."

Wally whined. "No fair."

A few hours later, they had migrated about and were all sleeping quietly. Wally was with Robin, sitting on the floor against the couch. The speedster's leg was twitching slightly and Robin's head had slid over onto the speedster's shoulder. Up on the couch itself, M'gann had ended close to Superboy, while the clone had rested his head on his propped up right arm. Kaldur was snoozing easily in one of the easy chairs, while Danny was curled up, resting his back against M'gann's shoulder and his feet were propped on the opposite armrest of the couch that Superboy was using.

 **Gotham City. August 7, 2010. 22:42 EDT.**

She wasn't sure what to even call this feeling. She'd most likely say it was a longing, but she'd felt that too many times in the past to make this time feel like it was different.

She made one last pass over the city with her eyes, sharp and just looking for trouble, anything to get her mind properly occupied. Eventually she gave up and turned to head back for home. As she was crawling through her window, she heard her mother's voice ring out.

"Artemis, could you come in here?"

"Uh…" Artemis stumbled a bit over her words, seeing as she was halfway through a window. "Yeah sure mom, just give me a sec."

She hurriedly threw on a bathrobe over most of her uniform before walking out into the main living area in their apartment. She stopped dead at the sight of Batman and Green Arrow staring at her. Her mind immediately thought the worst and she glared at her mother. "Mom! What did you do!?"

Batman cut her off, by speaking up before her mother could answer. "We came to see _you_."

"Artemis, we know what you've been up to," Green Arrow explained.

She paused briefly, trying to sort through her emotions, and chose the one she was more comfortable with, especially as she got older. "And you came to stop me? Well you can just forget it!"

"No. The Justice League has formed a covert team of young heroes, as I believe you already know," Batman explained.

Artemis felt her heart pump faster. _Crap, he knows._ "If you expect an apology for saving Kid Flash's-"

"We'd like you to join that team."

Artemis' head popped up and her eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

Green Arrow walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder. Through only pure willpower alone did she stop herself from flinching at his touch. She felt irritation crept up her spine at the sight of a man, a blond one at that, standing taller than her and looking down. It was too familiar of a memory.

"We think you'd make a great addition to the Team, if it's alright with your mother."

Artemis lifted a brow when she heard her mother give her permission. She then faced Green Arrow and gave him a hard look. "Only on one condition. You don't tell them who I am or who my family is." She felt a bit of guilt hit her when she saw her mother look away in shame.

Batman responded in monotone. "Your private life is your business."

Arrow only smiled a bit. "Not like you're the first hero with a secret identity. We'll introduce you as my new protégé and my niece." Artemis cocked a brow and Arrow grinned. "Hey, we are both blond ya know."

Artemis finally gave a grin of her own. "Then I'm so in."

* * *

 **And there we have it. An introduction to the Ghost Zone, Frostbite enters, the Team members mostly (though not completely) sort through some of their feelings about ghosts in various ways, and Artemis gets an invitation.**

 **This is the last of my buffer. I'm not sure when the next chapter will come out, but it might not be in a week's time. School and all that. I'll do my best!**

 **Don't worry though. I do have a plan of where I'm going with the story (actually really far in the future plan) so I haven't run out of ideas or anything. I always have a plan about the point and plot of the story before I post it. It's mostly just a time crunch thing. I'll get back to it. I'll probably end up just rotating between my stories.**

* * *

 **I'm sorry if I haven't been answering questions as well as I have in other stories of mine. I'm going to start doing that better from here on. So if you have questions in your reviews, expect them to be answered either by PM or in the next chapter under a section called "Answers to Questions." Since I haven't been answering them well until now, if you still have a question I haven't answered before now, go ahead and ask again! (You can just add it to the end of whatever you wanna say for this chapter or whatnot.)**

 **Thanks again for your support!**


	9. Archers and Infiltrators

**Hey guys! I'm really sorry for taking so long with this chapter. Thank you all so much for being patient! I'm still kinda busy with life, school, and work, but I'm not stopping the story, so don't worry. My updating schedule just might not be as speedy as it was at one time.**

 **If you ever what to get an idea of what story/chapter I'm currently working on and how many words I've written for it, check out my profile. My profile has a list at the top that shows which story I'm working on as well as how many words I've written for the chapter of the current story I'm working on.**

 **Also Young Justice season 3! I'm still so surprised that it worked and we're finally going to end that cliffhanger! I'm not sure how it will effect this story, seeing as I had planned many things assuming that we'd never get a season 3, so I'll just have to play it by ear for now.**

 **Okay that's all. Thanks again for your support and patience!**

* * *

 **Mount Justice. August 8, 2010. 09:58 EDT.**

Danny's head snapped up when he heard the other teens heading towards the exit, chattering excitedly. He grinned and continued working to pull the white tank he was holding over his head.

"Are you ready, Danny?" Danny nodded at Kaldur's question even though he knew his friend couldn't see it.

"Yep!" Danny trotted out of the locker rooms as he scooped up a pair of large water guns near the door.

M'gann, Superboy, Robin, and Kaldur were waiting for him. The boys all had on their swim-trunks and M'gann was wearing a pretty yellow bikini. Robin had a towel around his neck and a ball under his arm, while M'gann had a boogie board and Kaldur had a small beach bag.

Robin let out a happy laugh when spied the water guns in Danny's possession. "Oh my friend, you're treading in dangerous waters there."

Danny looked unimpressed and only smirked. "Really?"

Robin whistled slightly. "Oh you talk now…"

The group walked until they found themselves traipsing through the warm sands of the beach. As they neared the water, M'gann cheered. "Hello, Megan! We should come to the beach everyday!"

Robin smiled at the girl's enthusiasm. "Ah but first-" The young boy bowed his head. "A moment of silence for our absent comrade."

Kaldur smirked while Superboy and M'gann looked a bit guilty. "Poor Wally…" The martian murmured. Suddenly Danny sputtered and started to laugh, which brought a barely contained snicker from Robin.

"It's not Wally's fault," M'gann tried to offer.

"Naw, of course not, M. We're just laughing at his expense," Robin explained as Danny tried to gather himself.

"Well the best thing we can do for him is to have a lot of fun in his honor," Danny expressed.

"Ah! Of course! A brilliant suggestion," Robin tossed his towel and beach ball and made a dash towards the water. The others quickly did the same, though Kaldur and Superboy were more sedate about it.

Robin moved immediately to dodge a splash that Danny tried to get him with and then launched one at M'gann who squealed in surprise. She glanced at Danny and saw he was gone. "Uh oh."

Robin hacked when a wave of water suddenly attacked him on it's own. "Very clever Danny! Totally didn't see that coming!" Robin drawled out sarcastically.

"Gotcha!" M'gann shouted and splashed at nothing only for Danny to stutter out of invisibility in surprise.

"Oh yeah. Forgot you could sense my emotions," Danny chuckled before shaking his raven-haired head like a dog.

Kaldur seemed to rise from under the water without any noise and smiled at his three friends.

"Gotta admit, that's pretty cool, Kal." Robin snickered at bit.

Before Kaldur could even comment, Superboy suddenly plunged into the water, causing a massive wake to wash over the group.

M'gann laughed and jumped away the best she could, Kaldur dove, Robin lunged, and poor Danny simply washed up on shore. The halfa squirted out a mouthful of water before grinning and beginning to laugh. He tucked and rolled backwards, before sprinting towards their pile of things. He hefted up a large squirt gun and shouted.

"This means war, Superboy!"

"You and what army? You'll need one." Superboy snorted and then smirked in confidence.

Danny skidded to a stop and sighed. "A great comeback to that would be to duplicate if I could…" He shrugged. "Next best thing!"

"A Bat!" Robin cried, leaping completely over Danny's standing form as Superboy's eyes actually widened.

 **Central City. August 8, 2010. 09:00 EDT.**

Wally cringed when the slop splatted onto his tray. Despite popular belief, lunch time at school was his least favorite time of the day. While he liked having a break where he didn't have to do school work or listen to a teacher drone on, he couldn't eat as much or as fast in public. Not only that, but he was somewhat certain that this food would come up almost as fast as it could go down. He turned and walked away from the food line to find a seat.

It didn't take too long for him to find a spot on his own. Most of his friendships were with other superheroes and so he'd never tried very hard to make other friends at school. After all, those hypothetical school friends would only know half of him. He wasn't totally against it, it wasn't like he was trying to avoid people, but he wasn't giving much effort either.

He was just about to bite into the apple he had, which appeared to be the safest thing on his plate, when he heard a stuttering noise that sounded like a hello. Wally glanced up and saw that a young man was looking at him and holding his own tray.

"Hey?" Wally asked. The boy's eyes widened slightly before he replied.

"Oh yes, hello. My name is Thomas or Tommy and I was wanting- I mean wondering…" Tommy sighed slightly. "If I could sit with you? I'm new, you see and-"

"Sure," Wally smirked and gestured to the table. "I don't mind. My name's Wally."

Something like a relieved smile graced the boy's face. "Oh, thank you! It's a pleasure to meet you, Wally."

zzz

Kaldur gave a unnerving smile before spiking the volley-ball they'd brought. Danny grinned from his spot on his towel. The young ghost had offered to be referee for the first game.

Superboy readied himself and held his hands as his memories told him they should be held for this sport. When the ball neared him, he bumped the ball towards M'gann. The girl leapt into the air to spike it back. "Ha!"

Danny watched and swung his head from left to right as the ball was passed from one side to the other. Danny let out an involuntary gasp when he saw Superboy finally get the winning point for his team. He leapt up and flagged a hand in Superboy and M'gann's direction. "And that's it, folks! Superboy and M'gann win!"

"Yeah! But it sure was a close one!" M'gann agreed.

"Indeed," Kaldur replied and gave a smile.

"Anyone up for some food before the next game?" Robin asked.

Before long, the group found themselves snacking on cooked hotdogs and soda. Danny smirked as he finished squirting some mustard on his hotdog and pointed the nozzle at Robin and squeezed.

"Ack!" Robin yelped after the mustard had splattered over the side of his face, shoulder, and chest. He gave a vicious grin to Danny just after he reflexively retaliated against the 'enemy' with his relish bottle. Danny blinked as the green mess slid down his face.

"Touché. Those reflexes…" Danny trailed off, not needing to explain further. "You do realize-"

"War?" Robin asked almost pleadingly and hefted one of the two squirt-guns up.

"Yep." Danny dove to the second gun just as a spray of water smashed into his face and cleared it of most of the relish. The other three teens watched their two friends dash off and enter a strange game of tag.

M'gann couldn't help but laugh out loud and Kaldur joined soon after when Danny tripped and face-planted into the sand. He hardly seemed to notice and recovered quickly.

"Couldn't you just drench them both, like you did earlier when they teamed up?" Superboy asked suddenly and gave Kaldur a look. The Atlantean gave a ghost of a smile.

"I could, but it's not near as entertaining."

"Hey, Superboy wanna get buried under the sand? I've heard that's something people do on the beach!" M'gann interjected over Danny and Robin's laughter.

Superboy blinked and then furrowed his brows in confusion. "How would people do that? Wouldn't they suffocate under the sand?"

Kaldur smiled kindly. "From what I've seen, humans lay down and let people put sand over their chest, arms, and legs, not their head. It's harmless that way."

Superboy shrugged, seeming to accept the answer. He swiped up his only pair of sunglasses he owned and slid them on his face before plopping down on the ground. "Ready." He grunted.

M'gann smiled in delight and Kaldur chuckled at Superboy's simple nature. It wasn't long before a panting and dripping wet Danny and Robin were attracted to the scene by curiosity and joined in the invented game of trying to tower the sand on top of Superboy as high as possible.

zzz

Wally let out a relieved breath as he dashed at high speeds towards Mount Justice. Sure, it was the end of the day, but it was pretty likely that he'd catch his friends before they left the beach for the day.

A quick run by the beach told him they'd gone inside, probably just for a break. He stepped through the main entrance as the computer system announced his arrival. "The Wall-man is here! Now let's get this party star-UMPH!" Wally silently screamed in frustration as he felt the damn umbrella pole catch in-between his feet and bring him to the floor.

He risked a glance up to see his teammates giving him smiles or in Danny and M'gann's cases looks of sympathy. Unlike himself, everyone was suited up and Batman, Red Tornado, and Green Arrow were also present. A girl that also happened to be a blonde-haired archer stepped forward.

"Wall-man, huh? Love the uniform." She shifted her weight before continuing. "What exactly are your powers?"

"Uh, who's this?" Wally asked after standing back up. Before any of his friends could answer, the girl spoke again.

"Artemis, your new teammate."

"Kid Flash, never heard of you." Wally expressed, feeling immediately ruffled by the new presence. Artemis frowned.

Green Arrow walked up behind Artemis and clasped one of her shoulders with a hand. She flinched imperceivably and Danny rubbed one of his arms unconsciously due to the tenseness in the room. "She's my new protégé."

"What happened to your old one?" Wally asked in surprise.

 _Recognized. Speedy, B06._

Danny floated out of the newcomer's way as Speedy walked into their midst.

"Well, for starters, he doesn't go by Speedy anymore. Call me Red Arrow." Danny looked over Red Arrow and even though he hadn't ever really met him before, he could tell he'd changed his attire to something that more closely paralleled Green Arrow's outfit, minus the hood and with red rather than green.

"Roy, you look-" Green Arrow started only for Red Arrow to interrupt.

"Replaceable?"

"It's not like that. You told me you were going solo."

"So why waste the time finding a sub? Can she even use that bow?"

"Yes, she can!" Artemis expressed in irritation.

"Who are you?" Wally asked, still searching for a more specific explanation to the random archer from nowhere.

"I'm his niece-She's my niece-" Green Arrow and Artemis muttered at the same time.

"Another niece?" Robin asked, unable to hide his amusement. Danny merely rose a brow, but didn't really care. To be honest, he didn't see anything wrong with with having another archer in the group. Everyone's reason to be tense was kinda lost on him, minus Artemis being a little presumptuous.

"But she is not your replacement," Kaldur spoke up and then took a few steps towards his friend. "We have always wanted you on the team, and we have no quota on archers."

"And if we did, you know who we'd pick," Wally expressed immediately afterwards.

Danny glanced over at the adults present and saw that they were quietly watching the interactions carefully. A thoughtful look crossed Danny's face as he turned back to face the teens. He still wasn't sure what all was going on, but he decided it wasn't really his business, yet. Superboy crossed his arms next to him as Artemis responded to Wally's previous comment.

"Whatever, baywatch. I'm here to stay."

Red Arrow frowned and turned to walk away, only to be partially halted by Kaldur. "You came to us for a reason."

The solo act gave a brief pause before responding. "Yeah, a reason named Dr. Serling Roquette."

Robin grinned before moving to use his portable computer. "Nanorobotics genius and claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City. She vanished two weeks ago."

Red Arrow cut Robin off and moved towards the diagrams, holograms, and data that Robin had brought up on the Cave's computer. "Abducted two weeks ago by the League of Shadows."

"Whoa!" Robin exclaimed and moved closer to Red Arrow as Wally and M'gann followed. "You want us to rescue her from the shadows?"

Danny took in a breath. That kind of mission would be a new level for them. If he was honest with himself, it made him a tad nervous. The one thing he didn't share with many of his teammates was the seeming eagerness they had for next dangerous task they could find. He was willing to go anywhere or do anything for the people he cared about or even a stranger like this Roquette lady, but he was never really _eager_ to do it.

"Hard-core!" Wally interjected, breaking Danny from his thoughts.

"I already rescued her," Red Arrow stated bluntly. "Only problem is that the shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon. Doc calls it the fog. It's comprised of millions of microscopic robots, nanotech infiltrators capable of disintegrating anything in their path, concrete, steel, flesh, bone. However, its true purpose isn't mere destruction. It's infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system and deliver the stolen intel to the shadows, providing them access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting-edge science and tech."

Danny couldn't help but think of Technus and how frustrated the ghost would be to learn that humans had nearly developed something as complex as he was for taking over and accessing computers and electronics.

Artemis sighed as the pieces fell into place. "Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power-broking. Yeah. Sounds like the shadows."

"Like you know anything about the shadows," Wally scoffed, feeling more and more irritated. Artemis only gave him a self-satisfied smirk in response. He balked. "Who are you!?"

Red Arrow gestured at the Cave's computer screen again. "Roquette's working on a virus to render the fog inert."

"But if the shadows know she can do that-" Robin began.

"They'll target her." Red Arrow finished Robin's comment. "Right now, she's off the grid. I stashed her at the local high school's computer lab."

"You left her alone?" Green Arrow probed with a slight condemning tone to his voice.

"She's safe enough for now," Red Arrow argued calmly. Green Arrow searched Red Arrow's face before he stepped forward and spoke his response.

"Then let's you and I keep her that way."

"You and I?" Red Arrow scoffed, feeling a now familiar bitterness swell in his chest. "Don't you wanna take your new protégé?"

Green Arrow felt the remark strike him like a physical blow. He moved to speak again before Batman's hand on his shoulder stopped him. The other Leaguer retracted his hand as Green sighed through his nose and finally replied.

"You brought this to the team. It's their mission, which means it's her now, too."

Red Arrow stiffly turned towards the exit and began to walk. "Then my job's done." He passed the teens and the computer began to scan him.

 _Recognized, Speedy-_

"That's Red Arrow, B, zero, six. Update."

Artemis and Wally's eyes locked before they gave each other a scowl. Red Tornado turned to exit the room as Batman began to speak.

"Get ready and move out as quick as possible."

Artemis flinched slightly when Green Arrow placed a hand on her shoulder again. She glanced up at him and he briefly gave an encouraging nod.

Wally zipped away and came back in his uniform before the Team moved towards the hanger.

 **Happy Harbor. August 8, 2010. 21:53 EDT.**

Danny hovered slightly above the school building, glancing around with his night vision and trying to sense if anyone was nearby.

 _Everyone online?_

Danny relaxed and felt M'gann's essence slip into his mind. _Yep._

 _This is weird._ Artemis expressed as she stood next to Doctor Roquette, who was typing away at a computer in the lab.

 _And very distracting._ Roquette grumbled mentally. _Coding a distributive algorithm virus on a kiddie computer, with less ram than a wristwatch is hard enough. Now I have to hear teen-think in my skull?_

 _Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?_ Wally snarked.

 _Pot. Kettle. Have you met?_ Artemis replied.

 _Hey. Hey, I do not need attitude from the newbie who drove Red Arrow off the team._ Wally snapped and took an angry bite out of his energy bar.

 _Come on now, Kid. That's not really fair. Speedy-er uh- Red Arrow left on his own._ Danny spoke, hoping to stop a fight. He could see it coming from a mile away. Experience with a duo like Sam and Tucker could tell him that.

 _Phantom's right. That is so not on me!_ Artemis griped and gestured grandly even though only Roquette could see it.

 _Dude! Who's side are you on?_ Wally grunted. Danny was about to say no one's when Roquette's voice cut through their discussion.

 _Fate of the world at stake!_ Roquette exclaimed with exasperation.

 _She started it._ Wally complained.

 _How 'bout I just help the guys outside patrol the perimeter?_ Artemis huffed and walked towards the exit of the room and past Kaldur.

 _Good idea._ Kaldur replied in irritation.

Robin glanced at Wally in their hiding places. _You might cut her some slack. It was her arrow that saved your butt when we went against Amazo._

 _What? No, that was Speedy's- I mean Red Arrow's arrow, right?_ Wally stuttered.

 _Not so much._

 _Humph. Well, I'm still not giving her the satisfaction._

 _We're linked mentally, pal, remember?_ Danny gently revealed.

 _Agh!_ Wally growled in frustration after he heard Artemis huff.

 _I couldn't get the Justice League._ Roquette groaned.

 _The virus won't be of much use if we cannot find the weapon. Can you track it?_ Kaldur asked.

 _My utility fog is not a weapon. It's science, brilliant science-_ Danny couldn't help but raise a brow at that. _-And of course I can track it but I'd have to go online. Might as well rent a billboard with this address and 'assassinate me' written in neon!_ Roquette finished her small rant just as Kaldur placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. The atlantean felt her muscles relax a bit in defeat.

 _We will protect you._ He spoke with conviction. Roquette paused before she finally pressed a button on the keyboard.

 _Tracking the fog now._

 **Philadelphia. August 8, 2010. 21:57 EDT.**

A man in cybernetic armor and a helmet with a single large red lens on it glanced down at his laptop when he got an alert. He clicked a couple of buttons and another older and scarred man appeared in a new window on-screen.

"Roquette has resurfaced to track us, but that link's a two-way street. Sending her location now."

The older man hummed at his associate sent the information to him. "Who do we have near Happy Harbor, Rhode Island?"

"I'm not positive. However, we figured out who it was that broke her out in the first place. I believe the children are our opponents."

"Hmmm… I see. Very well, Ojo. I'll alert some assassins that are near their location and make a couple calls."

"Yes, Sensei."

zzz

 **Happy Harbor.**

Superboy glanced around, pausing when he heard some birds take flight. _Birds?_

 _Yep._ Danny confirmed. The clone looked over his shoulder and could barely see Danny drifting around the school's airspace.

Superboy nodded to himself before turning and leaping over the rooftops to where Artemis and M'gann were stationed, currently.

 _Mmm… That boy._ Artemis hummed, staring at Superboy. He turned to look at her flatly. Danny couldn't help a blush of green that rushed to his face from the girl's tone, even though it wasn't directed at him. He choked slightly just before M'gann responded.

 _He can hear you! We can all hear you!_

 _Oh, I know._ Artemis replied quickly, not missing a beat.

 _Miss Martian, Dr. Roquette has located the fog. Reconfigure the bishop so that Robin and Superboy can pursue._ Kaldur's mental voice rang out.

 _Should I go too, since I can uh…_ Danny began only for Kaldur to cut him off, though not unkindly.

 _Normally, I would agree. However, you do not have much practice with more delicate electronic possessions. I also want as many people to protect Roquette as possible. I'm certain Superboy and Robin can handle it._

 _Roger. Good luck guys._ Danny answered and then directed his speech towards the two departing teammates.

 _Right back at yah._ Robin chuckled and Superboy seemed to grunt out an agreement before they left in the bioship. M'gann's mental connection to them, faded.

Danny looked about and flew towards the opposite side of the buildings as M'gann and Artemis returned to their positions. They never saw the figure that leapt over the fence.

 _You embarrassed Superboy._ M'gann accused.

 _Didn't hear him say that._ Artemis replied coyly.

 _Must you challenge everyone?_

 _Where I come from, that's how you survive._

Their conversation died after that.

Inside the building, Wally walked quietly. He paused at a hallway intersection when he thought he saw something. He sped that way and then around another corner, before his foot suddenly couldn't find traction. The marbles under his feet slung his center of balance forward and in seconds, he was on his back and trying to fight off a headache. A swift kick to the head turned his world black.

Kaldur tensed when he saw something sped towards the doctor. He dove and caught the shuriken in his forearm. He whipped his head around to face a stunned Roquette. "Doctor, get down!"

The woman seemed to freeze at the sight of another figure lurking in the shadows of the room. Two more shuriken's sunk into the atlantean's forearm once he'd shoved the petrified doctor out of the way.

"Hmm, that had to hurt." The stranger nearly purred.

"Atlantean skin is quite dense."

"And my shuriken are quite poisoned."

Kaldur didn't reply except to draw his water bearers and form swords to block the first strike of the assassin's sais. _M'gann, Kid, Danny, Artemis, we are under attack in the computer lab!_

 _On our way!_ Artemis bellowed and rushed through the halls. Danny darted down through the ceiling in front of M'gann right before she paused. Where was Wally? She turned and flew the opposite direction.

Kaldur and the assassin traded blows until the intruder dropped and swiped his feet out from under him. She tossed a sai at Roquette only for Kaldur to whip it off course just enough with a water whip. It sunk into the billboard right beside the doctor's head, making her shriek in fear.

"Almost…" The assassin sighed. "Poison slowing you down?"

"Jellyfish toxin, I'm largely immune." Kaldur was more than proud at that moment to not be a pure-blood Atlantean. The intruder suddenly head butted him, causing him to falter and fall to the ground a second time.

"Largely." She rose her second sai, prepared to strike, only for an arrow to knock it clear from her hand. She spied Artemis near the door.

"Don't move," The archer warned.

Kaldur flipped back up just as green electricity thundered out from a belt on the assassin's waist. Danny flickered into view before jumping back. She cracked her neck and looked over her shoulder at the still smoldering ghost. "Surprise, ghost boy."

Danny's surprised face melted into a snarl. There was only one easy way anyone could've gotten hold of his parent's technology so quickly and without warning. "Vlad…" He hissed under his breath. Something twisted in his chest, though he didn't know exactly why. He didn't have time to think about it though. While he couldn't touch her to end this quickly, he could still fight. Those belts didn't defend from blasts or other manifested weapons, they only blocked physical contact with an entity.

Quick as lightning he threw two blasts, and he was pleased to see the intruder's eyes widen slightly behind her mask's lenses. She did a back hand spring over a desk and then ducked behind it to block the second blast which scorched the wood deeply.

Artemis aimed her bow, Kaldur stood and readied his swords, and Danny's hands started to glow brightly, readying another couple blasts.

"This gig's getting interesting…" The stranger purred, facing Artemis. The archer released arrow after arrow as the assassin blocked each with her blade. Before she could swipe at Artemis, she had to bend backwards to avoid a third blast from Danny. She jumped back to the middle of the room, just as M'gann and Wally arrived. "Maybe a little too interesting…" She eyed each teen in a calculated manner. Artemis shot off another arrow just as Danny let loose a blast. The stranger swatted the arrow away with her katanna, ducked under the blast, and tossed a smoke grenade, vanishing moments before Wally's lunge at her could connect. He tucked and rolled right into Artemis' personal space.

"Ack!" He backtracked and turned to look for the intruder. "Gone!"

"She's getting away! You're all letting her get away!" Roquette shouted in fear. Wally rounded on Artemis.

"This is all your fault! You were on perimeter! How'd that Shadow get in!?"

"That's not really fair. I was outside too." M'gann argued calmly.

"Outside getting distracted by her!" Wally flinched when Danny coughed and gestured to himself.

"I didn't see her either, Wally."

Wally's mouth twisted in annoyance. "I can't be mad at you guys. Phantom was looking over a massive section of land all at once and M'gann was distracted by Artemis, like I said before." Wally then finished his speech in his head while looking at M'gann. _Besides, you gave me mouth-to-mouth._

 _We heard that!_ Everyone but Danny shouted, though Wally could hear his mental laughter and saw him smirking.

"Dang it!" Wally shouted in frustration.

M'gann walked closer to Artemis. "I didn't do half as well during my first battle and I know you can't have been Green Arrow's sidekick for very long."

"Focus, everyone," Kaldur spoke, gaining everyone's attention. "The shadows will be back."

Kaldur paused afterwards and put a hand to his ear, as Robin reported in.

Everyone paused as Robin's voice came into their coms as well. "Star Labs in Philadelphia is gone. We're too late. Cutting-edge science, in the hands of the enemy. What's our next move?"

Danny sighed. Luckily, the plans for his parent's new second lab was being set up in the Star Lab's Taos, New Mexico, branch. It was the branch that dealt with alternate dimensions, teleportation, and dimensional travel. The first lab was still being set up in Axion in Amity as well.

"Rescan for that fog. Find it. We're moving the doctor." Kaldur answered simply.

zzz

 **Public Library. Happy Harbor.**

Wally and Artemis walked about the space near the Doctor's new computer desk. They shared a brief glare.

 _Stop it, both of you._ Kaldur demanded sternly.

 _What!?_ Artemis and Wally asked at the same time.

 _I can hear you glaring._ Kaldur moved from behind the tree he was near and spoke aloud. "Miss Martian, stay in camouflage mode and make a wide perimeter sweep. Meet with Phantom." Quite suddenly, red strands that were familiar to Kaldur and looked much like a spider's webbing dropped down over him and yanked him into the tree's branches. The atlantean fought back before he was thrown into a van on the street, denting it. He glanced up in time to see Black Spider stick a three point landing in front of him. Without warning, his world went black.

Hook stood up after having knocked Aqualad out from behind. Black Spider walked closer as the third assassin from the previous attack appeared. Hook grunted before he spoke. "Easy as last time. How'd you have trouble with these guys, Cheshire?"

Cheshire looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. "You two handled Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Robin before. They have a few more friends now. But enough of that, the martian and ghost could return at any minute and I'm not keen on evening their odds. We end Roquette now."

The three assassins darted off towards the library.

Inside Wally saw Danny tense and start to open his mouth in warning. His ghostly friend had undoubtedly sensed their minute vibrations outside the room. Their enemies were here.

Not a second later, the double doors were kicked open as Danny announced their arrival and Wally saw Black Spider appear. Wally intercepted the assassin and they traded blows before the Black Spider jumped up to the ceiling and sprayed a web of red at the speedster. Wally dodged and chucked a trashcan at his opponent, causing him to jump back down.

Artemis readied her bow just as Hook jumped through the back window and prompted her to change targets. "Don't stop working." Roquette heeded the girl's words and continued. She didn't seem to notice another window open and Cheshire taking aim.

Danny fired a couple blasts at Hook, which hit their mark when he tried to dodge Artemis' arrows. He slammed into the wall as Cheshire let her arrow fly. A wooden bench floated up in front of Roquette, taking the arrow instead.

"Martian's here and Phantom wasn't where he was supposed to be. It's now or never!" Cheshire shouted and leapt down. Black Spider kicked Kid Flash away and then cleared the way for Cheshire to land right in front of Roquette. Artemis tried to fire at the third assassin, only for Hook to launch his chain-hook weapon into her side. Danny bolted towards the doctor but was obviously too far away to make it in time. Just as Cheshire tackled Roquette, the woman's head twisted and turned green, revealing herself to be Miss Martian instead.

"We've been duped! Argh!" Cheshire gasped when Danny landed a powerful kick to her side, sending her into the nearest wall. Green shocks danced over Danny's body and he cringed, but smiled.

"Worth it."

A few blocks away, Kaldur glanced over at a frantically working Roquette. She glanced up at him. "I've almost got it."

zzz

In the bioship, near Gotham City, Robin scowled when he realized where the fog's next target was. "WayneTech… It's systems could possibly hack the-"

"The what?" Superboy questioned, getting slightly unnerved at Robin's sudden intensity.

"Doesn't matter, what matters is that WayneTech has a twenty-four hour work force. We'll never evacuate the building in time."

zzz

"You'll never find Doctor Roquette!" M'gann growled out.

"Never's such a long time." Cheshire answered before speaking again to her partners. "Pursuing target. Keep 'em busy." Cheshire bolted towards the door tossing a small object at Danny, who was in her way. He let out a gasp when he recognized it, but he was a second too late to dodge as the cube snapped up around him.

"Ahhhh!" Danny let out a screech when the electricity reacted to his reflex to try and escape. He forcefully made himself relax after the jolt so that he wouldn't get electrocuted anymore.

Artemis sped past him and he watched as Wally and M'gann fought Black Spider and Hook.

 _Kid Flash, we need to end this now!_ M'gann urged.

 _It's like you read my mind, beautiful._ Wally replied just as Black Spider stuck him with red webbing. Wally started to spin in place rapidly, drawing Black Spider in and then kicking him into some wooden benches, knocking the criminal out. M'gann psychically redirected Hook's chain weapon back at him, causing the man to knock himself out as well.

"Yaah! Whoo hoo! I got mine," M'gann cheered.

"Great!" Wally expressed and then wiggled a bit in the web. "Uh, little help?"

"Oh, right! Then we'll get Danny." M'gann nodded and floated closer to Wally.

"Uh, we might have to wait until Rob gets back to get me out." Danny glanced down, looking for the release button. "I can't find the release button. I think this thing's been modified."

"Oh! We'll go get Aqualad to contact Robin then," M'gann expressed as she released Wally and levitated their two prisoners.

"Yeah, go on. I'll be fine so long as I don't move," Danny answered. He watched them go out the door, even though they seemed hesitant to leave him. Danny then sighed and let his head drop against the cool metal. "Stupid, I should've dodged that…"

"Well, you are a ghost. It must be such an _inconvenience_ to remember that humans like us have weapons that can work on you now."

Danny jerked and let out a gasp before looking up at the person that cast a shadow over him and his prison.

zzz

Cheshire gave a cat-like smile to to Artemis even as her mask clattered against the ground. "Hmm, yes. I suppose now you bring me to justice, let your new little friends interrogate me. I wonder if your position is secure enough to survive them learning everything I know."

Artemis' bow lowered after a moment of tense silence.

"Didn't think so," Cheshire chuckled lightly. The assassin dropped a smoke bomb and backed into it. "And now, like the Cheshire cat, I'll disappear." The figure of the assassin disappeared right before Aqualad, being helped by Roquette, exited the nearby door.

"Artemis, where's the assassin?" Kaldur asked.

"She uh, got away," the archer replied solemnly.

"Oh from you? Big surprise." Wally stated sarcastically as he, M'gann, and their prisoners approached. "Notice that we got ours."

"Where is Phantom?" Kaldur asked a tinge of concern in his voice. Wally seemed to ignore him and scooped up Cheshire's mask.

"He's still stuck back at the previous location. He thinks he'll need Robin to get him out of the trap he's in," M'gann explained.

Kaldur nodded before looking at Artemis. "Robin and Superboy neutralized the fog, and Doctor Roquette is safe, thanks in no small part to you. Welcome to the team." The atlantean extended a hand and Artemis shook it. M'gann placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"I've always wanted a sister. Here on Earth, I mean. I have twelve on Mars, but trust me, it's not the same." M'gann rambled nervously.

"I wouldn't know, but uh… thanks." Artemis replied with a small smile.

Just as Wally finally welcomed Artemis to the team, everyone present flinched when an explosion rocked the area. The teens and the doctor whipped their heads around to face the direction of the other building they'd used. Kaldur spoke.

"Phantom."

M'gann lifted up the prisoners and Roquette before flying off behind the running Kid Flash and Aqualad.

zzz

Danny groaned and wearily tried to lift himself off the ground only to succeed partially. He glanced over his shoulder as his aggressor stalked closer. The moon light reflected off the metallic armor of the Red Huntress as she exited the shadows.

"Can't we talk about this like civilized people?" Danny flinched when he heard his ex-schoolmate growl. "I guess that's a no…" He muttered under his breath.

"Ha, real cute. I don't have time for your dumb fake humor, Phantom. Now sit still for my net launcher this time. That cube was too heavy and awkward for my board."

"Why on Earth would I actually do that?" Danny asked with a bit of incredulity in his voice.

"Shut up, ghost!" She lifted her blaster and fired again at the weakened Phantom sending him onto the nearby docks and causing him to roll several times, barely missing from rolling into the water.

"What did I do this time?" Danny gasped and grasped fearfully for his core so he could fly or move or do _something_. He was on the edge of passing out after the two encounters with the assassin's belt, the cube, and two blasts from whatever that weapon was that Valerie was pointing at him.

The Red Huntress snarled and Danny couldn't remember a time he'd heard her with such vitriol intent coming through her voice. "Like you don't know."

"I never really do," Danny murmured under his breath again. His breath caught when the huntress rose her weapon again and the red light from it glinted in his eyes.

Suddenly she was slammed into and the huntress went tumbling to the side. Kid Flash was where she had been and soon after Aqualad, Artemis, and Miss Martian appeared behind him. The martian immediately hovered over to Danny to check on him. Aqualad and Artemis drew their weapons soon after.

"What's your deal, huh buddy?" Kid Flash snapped.

Red Huntress pulled herself up and growled. "I can't believe it. He was right. You fools _are_ helping that scum!"

Artemis' eyes widened slightly at the wording of their opponent's comment.

"Explain yourself. Why have you assaulted our teammate," Kaldur demanded coldly.

Red Huntress straightened. "He's a ghost. Ghosts are evil. He's tricking you, can't you see that?"

"Whoa there, Danny's one of the good guys, pal," Kid declared and placed his hands on his hips. "You're way off course."

Red Huntress flinched at the name Kid used for the ghost, but then snorted. "Fool."

Kaldur glanced over his shoulder as Robin and Superboy ran to the scene and took positions.

"Huh, heard of you. Red Huntress, Amity Park, a ghost hunter exclusively," Robin rattled off. "What are you doing away from home?"

Red Huntress huffed. "Looking for him." She pointed at Danny who was leaning against M'gann.

"Well we've kinda adopted him so no take backs," Robin quipped, causing Danny to laugh softly.

"I can't believe this. I don't want you people to be overshadowed, I respect you and everything your people stand for as heroes and protectors. I just don't understand why you won't listen. Trusting a thing like him, it's foolish! He's just a mass of negative emotions. He's not a real person!" Red Huntress snarled slightly in frustration and some of the teens flinched at her last statement. She shook her head before clicking her heels together. In moments, she was on her board and in the air. She pointed at Danny, catching his attention. "Don't get comfortable, spook. I know what you did to him. I'll never forgive you for that."

Then she was gone.

Wally turned to look at Danny. "Dude, what the heck is her _problem_?"

Danny shrugged and then grimaced in a bit of pain. "It's a long and dumb story, mostly dumb."

Robin rubbed his chin in thought. "I wonder what she was talking about at the end there."

Danny shook his head. "I'm not sure, but I might have an idea."

Superboy stepped closer. "You okay?"

Danny smiled at his friend. "Yeah, I'll be fine after a bit of rest. I'm starting to heal already, I can feel it."

M'gann let out a sigh of relief as she watched a cut on his face seal up and disappear. Kaldur nodded and then faced everyone. "Let's go back to our prisoners and Roquette. We'll need to drop them both off and then we can head to the Cave."

Everyone nodded at that.

 **Happy Harbor. The Cave. August 9, 2010. 01:15 EDT.**

Danny sighed as he collapsed onto the couch in his human form. Artemis had just left, and Kaldur, Robin, and Wally were heading out soon after having cleaned off in the locker rooms.

"You alright?"

Danny opened his eyes and glanced at the speaker to see that Kaldur had asked him the question, though Wally, Robin, and Superboy were in the room too and had heard their leader speak. M'gann flew in seconds after.

"Oh, yeah. Just peachy and a bit exhausted." Danny gave a smirk at that.

"I think he meant the mind games, pal," Robin expressed and dropped onto the arm of the couch.

"Ah," Danny let out a breath. "It's nothing I'm not used to. People are afraid. It's easier to say that all ghosts are evil than it is to accept they aren't just electricity and ectoplasm. The Red Huntress also has something of a personal grudge against me on top of that, so…"

"You're none of those things, Danny and you are definitely a person, a great one," M'gann spoke up quietly.

The teens were pleased to see the smile that came to Danny's face. "Thanks, M'gann. That means a lot."

Eventually everyone but M'gann and Superboy left. M'gann went into the kitchen and Superboy watched TV with Danny. Danny's mind was far away though. What had Valerie been talking about? He had a sinking feeling that it was a big misunderstanding again, like it always seemed to be with them. Not only that, but any doubt that Vlad was getting involved before now was gone. Regardless, he felt the need to revisit his current training. If their enemies could convince Vlad to give them weapons that could, if not severely weaken him but at least compromise his flexible ability set and how he could fight an enemy, then he'd need to find a way around that. A memory flashed in his mind and begrudgingly, he recalled his darker self ripping off a locked specter deflector from his waist. It seemed to him that at some point, ghost weapons, even something as strong as a tank using ectoplasm, would stop being effective against a ghost that was powerful enough.

Could he become that powerful so that he could protect his family, team, and everyone else, without losing himself? He wasn't sure how ghosts got stronger or if they needed enough torment and anger to grow in level or if they could in fact use kinder emotions to strengthen themselves. Even if he did succeed, there was the risk that whatever protections his friends had to use, should he once again be turned against them, would also no longer protect them from his hypothetical increased strength and resistance.

Danny sunk deeper into the couch. He was pretty sure he wasn't going to sleep well tonight.

 **Gotham City. August 9, 2010. 01:16 EDT.**

Artemis walked out of the teleporter that was hidden in an old phone booth. As she walked and thought about her first experience with the team and the teenagers that made it up, she paused and aimed her bow at a shadowed figure in the alley.

"Step into the light. Now."

None other than Red Arrow stepped forward. "Nice move. Almost made me believe you are Green Arrow's niece, but we both know you're not." He stepped closer as Artemis lowered her bow. "Still, I'm sure G.A. and Bats have a reason for lying, so your cover's safe." He leaned closer to her face. "But I warn you, do not hurt my friends."

He then passed her and disappeared into the shadows again, leaving a thoughtful Artemis, alone.

zzz

 **Unknown location.**

"Report."

Sensei walked forward to face the many blacked out silhouettes on the screens. "Masters, before Ojo's capture, he transmitted the Star Labs data you required, but the WayneTech intel still eludes us."

"Once again the young heroes interfere. It's fortunate we at least have an operative on the inside." One of the silhouettes expressed.

Another spoke soon after. "Plasmius, your weaponry to counteract Phantom's abilities worked only just barely."

A figure flickered into view near Sensei, which turned out to be Vlad Plasmius himself. He rolled his neck a bit and gestured vaguely with his hands. "Those belts are very specified and fickle pieces of equipment. They only work to repel physical contact with a spectral entity, not indirect attacks. Blasts and other manifestations are too powerful for something like those belts to repel."

"Then what good are they?" One of the silhouettes scoffed.

Plasmius snarled quietly, revealing his fangs. "Like I stated. They stop one from being man-handled or overshadowed. Next time you should maybe ask for a League-repellent belt." The ghost snarked in a clipped but graceful tone.

"Why you-"

"Enough." A fourth silhouette interrupted. "Plasmius is correct. The weapons did as they were expected to do. Unfortunately the Huntress didn't complete her mission."

"Ah, but at least she still follows my suggestion. She'll succeed or the G.E.I.S.T Group will. One or the other," Plasmius replied, recapturing his cool persona quickly.

"Indeed. Things will piece themselves together, with time."

* * *

 **The next chapter I believe will be entirely original and if it turns out like I want it to, I think you guys will like it.**

 **And now the name of the new Guys in White group (who as we know don't wear white anymore) has been revealed. The G.E.I.S.T Group stands for:** **Ghost Experimentation, Interrogation, and Scientific Theory Group.**

* * *

 **Answers to Questions:**

 **Phantom Ice: Are the team ever going to meet Dani? Just curiosity.**

 **NoSignal: Yes indeed they are. It may be a little while though, but before season one ends.**

 **Forget4me: I like how it's going a lot, but it seems to fall in the common trap that most fanfics do about following the already established canon story with some elements of whatever you have changed thrown in. The most interesting parts of the story is where you make it your own such as these moments. Don't be afraid to change what's happened with the YJ story drastically so long as it makes sense for you! Great story otherwise so far!**

 **NoSignal: Yeah I know what you mean about that. My reasoning is this: I could have easily just come up with a random story that had Danny and the Team meet, have a villain or two to encounter and then have that be it. I would be completely original. It would probably be short though. It would seem like a long episode or long special of some kind. The Young Justice world has a somewhat strict timeline of events and while I could just ignore that entirely, it would still feel off. I think that's why most people like writing DPxYJ crossovers that follow the canon timeline to some degree. They want to see what would've happened if Danny had been there.**

 **What I'm trying to do, even if it isn't too different, is ask the question of: What would've happened if Danny had been there, BUT follow through more than other stories. While I'm adding dialogue to show Danny is present, I'm also working on slowly altering the timeline of YJ itself due to Danny's (and Vlad's for that matter) presence. I'm trying to not just ask what would've happened if Danny was there for each episode of the YJ show, I'm asking that question for the entire timeline as well.**

 **I hope that makes sense and thanks for being honest, but kind about it. I'm trying my best to write the story I want to write, but also address the issues that this kind of story can encounter.**

* * *

 **And that's all the questions I believe. Thank you all for your support and and patience!**

 **Until next time.**

 **~NoSignal**


	10. Trial and Error

**As I've stated before, Keep an eye on my profile for the latest update news, etc.**

 **It's been a while huh? I don't have much to say other than going through life stages takes a lot of one's attention. That and I've been trying to get myself inspired to write and have been trying to work on personal writing projects. I hope I can get more regular again with updates, though I don't think it'll be as frequent as it once was. I still want to write and finish these stories though. I still do plan to finish them eventually. This story in particular is also in a pickle because I planned it out as though a third season of Young Justice would never happen and well, fans know that they're planning that mythical third season. I'm going to try to include things from whatever happens in the third season, unless of course it really takes some kind of weird left turn.**

 **As a final note I just want to say how thankful I am for all of your patience. I have no idea how that helped ease my stress levels. Thanks guys.**

 **Alright, that enough from me. Here's a chapter you've been patiently waiting for.**

* * *

 **Amity Park. August 10, 2010. 15:45 CDT.**

It was generally quiet, like it normally was when Sam and Tucker would walk home from school. For several years, the three teens had grown up used to having their trio together. Now, without Danny, it was sometimes awkwardly silent.

It wasn't to say that Sam and Tucker didn't talk to each other or have things to say or laugh about together, but as the days carried on, they discovered more and more just how often Danny had been at the center of their friendships. Often times, they'd find themselves about to say something to Danny, only to freeze and remember he wasn't walking right next to them like he always was.

It was a sobering but important lesson. As much as they cared about Danny, neither had ever realized what it could possibly be like if he wasn't there. Overall, both Sam and Tucker found themselves grateful, not only for their best friend but for their other loved ones as well as each other. Now that they knew Danny was at least alive and safe, it was more awkward sometimes than painful, like it had been.

"I really feel like Lancer is trying to crush our souls. I mean what kind of heartless guy gives this much homework right at the beginning of school!?" Tucker spluttered in non-concealed frustration.

Sam only rolled her eyes slightly. "You're over-exaggerating, Tucker. It's not ideal, but it's not terrible."

"How can you even say that?" Tucker asked in slight befuddlement. Sam rose a brow but didn't answer. Instead she started on a different conversation topic.

"Hey, do you have any other classes with Valerie, other than English with Lancer?"

Tucker paused slightly in surprise at the topic change but shrugged and continued his pace on the sidewalk with Sam. "Nope, English is it for me. Why?" Tucker glanced over at his friend raising his own brow in question. He could tell this was the start of a more serious topic and watched the goth closely.

Sam furrowed her brows only slightly and pursed her mouth in thought. "Well… I couldn't help but notice that Valerie looked, angry."

"Doesn't she always now-a-days?"

"I mean she looked particularly peeved about something and maybe a bit troubled. Not only that, but she kept glancing at us a few times when she thought I wasn't looking."

"Okay, what of it? She's probably just pitying us because of Danny. Kinda like everyone else has seemed to lately."

Sam paused in her walk and caused Tucker to slow too. "I feel like it's… I'm not sure what, but something is up."

Tucker watched Sam for a moment before nodding slowly. "I get it. One of those gut things, right?"

Sam frowned slightly at Tucker's description. Over time, the trio had felt like they were developing a sort of sense or instinct for when something wasn't natural or in place. They didn't have a name for it nor understood the science behind it, but they figured their experience, even if brief but intense, with ghosts, Vlad, and everything else, had helped them to notice more about human behaviors and patterns. They seemed to just know when something bad was going to happen, if Vlad was up to something, when someone wasn't acting quite like they should and perhaps, it was because they worked with ghosts, specifically, which caused them to notice oddities quicker. One had to if they wanted to figure out if someone was overshadowed or being affected by a ghost's powers. Even the smallest clue could help. They'd gotten into the habit of mostly trusting each other whenever they got a bad feeling about something.

"Yeah, I guess."

"I could try hacking her email and phone records, if that will put you at ease?" Tucker asked.

Sam sighed and then nodded. "Yeah that'd probably be a good idea. Just be careful."

Tucker smirked as they started walking again and gestured grandly to himself. "Just who do you think you're talking to?"

"Very funny techno-geek."

They paused again in walking and glanced at the building they'd stopped at. They'd walked the same route home every day with Danny and his house was always first in their stops. Yet again, they'd forgotten to take a different turn to Sam's street.

"We did it again." Tucker mumbled.

"Yep." Sam replied quietly.

A moment of silence passed between them before Sam spoke up again. "What are we going to do, Tuck?"

Tucker glanced at Sam quietly. "What do you mean?"

Sam's voice dropped lower and Tucker leaned slightly to hear. "We know he's safe, but we keep doing this."

"We'll break habit eventually."

"What if I don't want to have to?"

Tucker stilled for a moment, surprised by Sam's reply. There had been a bit more emotion in her voice than he was used to, no matter how small it had been. "Then we don't have to."

"I miss it."

Tucker immediately knew what Sam was referring to. She missed helping Danny fight and protect their city. Even if they'd been mostly support, while Danny did the heavy lifting, in the literal sense, their team had had a flow and chemistry that wasn't easily dismissed. Even though they didn't miss some of the long nights and the strain it had put on Danny, he understood her in the basest of ways. "I know."

Sam seemed slightly surprised by his answer but didn't linger on it. She laughed a bit bitterly. "Danny would kill us if we became vigilantes somehow."

Tucker snorted and couldn't stop the smile from overtaking his face. "The look on his face would almost be worth it though." He actually got a small laugh out of Sam for that one.

"I feel a hole that needs to be filled. I don't want to go looking for trouble or anything. What if someday…" Sam's voice dropped again. "What if someday he needs us and we aren't prepared at all to help?"

At that moment, Tucker felt a strong fear grasp his chest and squeeze his heart. He now understood what Sam had most likely been anguishing about for a while. That what if. What if they fall so far out of the loop that they couldn't possibly help their best friend if he needed them. No matter how unlikely it was… It wasn't a risk he didn't want to take with his best friend since forever. "What can we do?"

Sam saw the grim look overtake Tucker's face as the geek realized just what had been weighing on her. The reality to his question was, not much. They were just a couple of teens that had no real background with anything nor any authority. Danny also had the Justice League and their proteges at his back now. Everything seemed to say no, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel like they weren't off the preverbal hook. They'd been there when Danny Phantom was born, when a hero had been born, and she had a feeling that they were already too deep. It would be foolish not to be somewhat prepared for a what if at this point. She glanced at Tucker a gave a small smile. "Step one-"

Tucker looked confusedly at her.

"Convince Mrs. Fenton, a ninth-degree black belt, to tutor us."

Tucker's eyes sparkled slightly at the good idea before it hit him that he'd have to do psychical exercise. "Ugh. I'm holding this against Danny."

 **Smallville Kansas. August 10, 2010. 18:34 CDT.**

It was surprising how much he felt like a child again in this moment. Here, the great and mighty Superman stood a distance away from his childhood home, trying to will himself to go the rest of the way.

After a few days of stewing about what he'd learned from Bruce about Danny as well as thinking about his own feelings towards his clone, he'd decided that he needed to talk to his Ma and Pa. He was still very torn and every time he thought he could come to a decision, something would make him doubt again. He'd been back and forth so many times by this point that he truly felt lost. He had to make a decision though, that much he was sure of. He couldn't keep staying on the fence anymore. He had to face this no matter the outcome.

He glanced back up at the Kent farm and sighed. He was kind of worried about talking to his parents about it. He took a deep breath and then forced himself to walk the rest of the way up the road, he tightened his grip on his briefcase handle out of nervousness but didn't break it.

Before long he was at the door, knocking, and being welcomed inside with a warm greeting from his mother. That would always make him smile against his will.

"It's nice to see you too, Ma."

"You didn't call beforehand. Not that you have to of course, but usually you do." Martha expressed as she moved back towards the pot of delicious food she was no doubt working with. Clark couldn't help but shake his head at her noticing something so minor but telling. Martha paused in her work and turned down the heat before stepping closer. She placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "Clark, what's wrong?"

The kryptonian let out a sigh and sunk into one of the chairs around the kitchen table. "I'm not sure if I should talk to Pa about this too…"

"That troublesome, hm?" Martha responded and took her own seat at the table. Clark was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out how to start. He decided that good old-fashioned honesty was probably best.

"Ma, someone attempted to clone me and they technically succeeded." There was a quiet and he could only hear her soft breathing thundering within his sensitive ears as he continued. "He chose to escape his predicament as a weapon and has been training with some of the younger heroes like Robin and Kid Flash. Bruce has been trying to tell me to get closer to Superboy, and he wants me to talk to Danny who's sixteen and has a clone himself, but…" He let out a distressed sigh. "I just don't know what to do Ma. He was made to fight me, not to mention how violating this whole thing is. It unnerves me to look at him." He finally stopped and waited. He was a bit surprised to hear a laugh. It was a laugh that was also sympathetic but a laugh none the less.

"No one's ever really ready to have a child. We certainly didn't expect for ours to come from a spaceship."

Clark glanced up and saw that Martha was giving him a kind smile. She let out a breath. "I know you're conflicted and upset. I know how much of a standard you hold yourself to with your powers and now there's another boy that suddenly has those same abilities. However, Clark…" Martha reached out and placed a hand over his and looked into his eyes. "I'm not trying to be uppity or prideful when I say this, but can you imagine what you would've done here on Earth if Jonathan and I hadn't found you first? I'm certain that you would've found a way and managed. But you wouldn't trade us for that other outcome, right?"

Clark shook his head softly, almost hurt she would ask. "Of course not, never."

Martha smiled. "Then can you do me a favor? Give that boy what we tried to give you. Just try for me."

Clark lowered his head slightly, contemplating his mother's request. He was still uncomfortable about nearly everything about what such a task would entail, but his mother and Bruce were at least right about one thing. He needed to at least give Superboy a chance. He needed to try. He then looked up and gave a passing smile. "Okay. I'll try and I'll talk to Danny."

Martha beamed and stood. "Sounds like a fine plan to me! Now Danny is the young man that's new right? What is he again?"

Clark couldn't help but smile at his mother's happiness returning. "Actually, a ghost, believe it or not."

Martha hummed. "A ghost, hm? You'll have to point him out to me on the TV sometime, alright?"

"Sure thing, Ma."

 **The Cave. August 10, 2010. 19:16 EDT.**

"Please, Robin?"

"Hm?"

"Don't innocently, _hm?_ me! Tell us." Robin couldn't stop a smirk from coming to his face as most Team stood suited and ready in the entrance of the Cave. Kid Flash tapped a foot impatiently, giving his buddy a glare.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what's going on."

"Why do you think I know?"

"Because you always seem to know everything?"

"Wally has a point," Phantom spoke up and looked between the two with a smile.

"I'm flattered, really, but I don't know whatever you're talking about."

"Robin!" KF snapped slightly as Robin started to laugh.

"Fine, fine. Apparently, Canary's taking us somewhere, but that's all I could figure out."

Everyone looked up as Artemis walked closer to the group, having been the last one to arrive and suit up. She merely nodded to the others.

"Evening Artemis," Miss Martian greeted.

"You too," Artemis replied with a little hesitance.

Before anyone else could speak, Canary's name was announced by the computer and said hero walked up to the group of teens. "Hello everyone. We're going to head to hanger and take the Bioship, alright? Get all the equipment you need for basic training as well as your ghost fighting gear. You have ten minutes to assemble. See you in a bit!"

Phantom rose a brow as she walked off. "Ghost fighting gear, huh? Why do I feel like this isn't going to be a good day?"

KF laughed and threw an arm over the ghost's shoulders. "Tough luck, pal." He then sped off before Phantom could reply. He then flew off after him and the others to gather his own things. Artemis trailed behind with Robin and Aqualad, staring for a few moments after Phantom.

 **Wyoming. August 10, 2010. 20:57 MDT.**

"Alright everyone, I'd like to see you all start by doing stretches and then running around the lake. Judge for yourself how much running you need to do to get warmed up. After you're done report back at the Bioship." Black Canary announced as she stepped off the Bioship and out into the surrounding forest the group now found themselves in.

There was a small opening in the forest and beyond that a lake that was partially shaded by some trees on its far side.

Superboy rose a brow when he saw Wally grin. "Run, you say?" Before anyone could answer the young speedster zoomed off to be next to the lake so he could rapidly do some stretches before running his laps.

The rest of the Team moved forward after that and began their own stretches as well. Soon, Robin, Artemis, Superboy, and Wally were running around the lake. Danny and M'gann were flying their laps and Aqualad was swimming the rim of the lake edge.

As they were warming up, Wally started to slow down so he could talk. Artemis narrowed her eyes at him as he slowed to be near her and Robin and below roughly where Danny was going to pass soon.

"Seriously, you can keep your mouth shut for one exercise?"

"Hey, I wasn't slowing to talk to you!" Wally huffed and looked up at Danny. He was buffeted by Superboy's draft as the clone ran past with a frown on his face. It seemed that Superboy was still finding things he couldn't do quite like Superman, which included super speed. Wally spoke as their ghost friend started to fly past with M'gann not too far behind. "Hey I've never asked; how fast can you go?"

Danny looked down and slowed a bit to answer. "Oh well. On the ground, am about like Superboy in terms of running speed, faster than a human but no sonic speed or anything. In the air though," Danny grinned briefly. "My max used to be around 112 mph, but now I know I've at least broken the sound barrier a few times. I don't actually know what my official top speed is anymore."

Wally smirked. "Oh yeah? We've got to race sometime then!"

"Sure, why not?" Danny answered and then sped up. After another thirty minutes, the group had walked back to be with Canary.

"Alright everyone, now I would like you to practice with your powers and abilities. Definitely attempt to experiment and push yourselves." Canary explained and then watched as everyone's faces became intrigued.

Everyone separated after that to work on their abilities. M'gann focused on trying to pull multiple trees out of the ground to see how much she could carry and then worked on morphing her body into different things, starting with trying to better copy male humans. She knew that it would take much more practice before she could turn into other things and animals like her uncle could. The last thing she worked on was trying to density shift through a tree.

M'gann stood in front of the tree with a contemplative look on her face. Her uncle had explained to her a couple times on how density shifting worked but putting it into practice was harder than it looked. "To think of the air and then keep thinking lighter. Pulling each part of yourself into an infinitely small space separate from any other part, then bring yourself all back together again…" The young Martian gazed down at her arm and started to concentrate. After a few tense minutes, she started to see her arm become more and more translucent. As she tried to continue making it even lighter and have the separation spread up her arm, the limb started to shake and she grit her teeth in concentration. Eventually M'gann lost focus and watched her arm fade back to its normal density. She sighed before gaining a determined look on her face, "Again then."

Aqualad practiced going through the motions and techniques he had learned while in the Conservatory of Sorcery. While he chose not to stray too far from those practiced motions, he did attempt to move water without the help of his water-bearers, to little effect. The young Atlantean gazed at the water as it bubbled and bulged from the surface trying to rise into the air. Kaldur frowned. _I wonder, how well have Garth and Tula been in their studies…_ Shaking his head softly to try and put his mind back on task, he moved closer to the water and attempted to make it rise again. Maybe Aquaman would help him find time to hone his abilities under Queen Mera some more.

Robin and Artemis did the least in regards to altering their practice, going through stretches and moves they knew all too well. When Robin finally moved onto running through treetops and practicing flying leaps and acrobatic movements, Artemis worked on using her bow and practiced her aim. The archer couldn't hold back a smirk when she managed to partially split the shaft of one arrow with another.

Wally was gone in the blink of an eye and wasn't seen by anyone until the practice session was done.

Superboy stalked away not liking the idea of being watched when he tried to experiment with his powers. Frustration nearly blinded him as he stared at his hands. Finally, he took a deep breath and prepared himself. After a few moments, he glared at the tree in front of him. As time passed, Superboy became more and more frustrated. The young clone gritted his teeth and felt a strange feeling in his heart start to cause pressure in his chest. Surely if someone showed him how…

Superboy let out a cry of anger before launching himself into the air with a jump. He reached out towards the clouds as he started to fall and gravity took him. In moments, he was at the bottom of a small crater, the next moment he had once again launched himself into the air with more strength behind his thrust. Again, Superboy cried out in pure aggravation as he clutched for the skies. After jumping several more times, Superboy climbed to the edge of the crater he'd formed and beat the ground with a fist.

Danny found himself floating in an area by himself as well. After having practicing duplication and telekinesis again, with a bit more success by making himself a second torso, pair of arms, and a second head all attached to the same waist, he turned his attention to something else.

A specter deflector lay on the ground. He had already turned it on with a slight shock for his efforts and was silently staring at it. Danny wasn't sure how to proceed with his plan. Should he simply shock himself trying to build his endurance, or was that a fruitless endeavor that would only bring unnecessary pain? He wished he had a better idea of what caused a ghost to become more powerful. Danny grimaced slightly, wondering if ghosts had to absorb others in order to grow in strength. Without any knowledge, it seemed like something possible. After all, Dark Phantom had been more than willing to absorb Plasmius during his psychotic break and Danny wouldn't put it above Pariah Dark to have absorbed countless ghosts during his time in existence.

In the end, Danny let out a sigh and continued trying to succeed in making a complete duplicate.

Eventually, everyone made their way back to Canary who once again was ready with the next step of their training day. For some time afterwards, the team practiced using their ghost weaponry, while Danny watched. For the time being, Canary was more concerned with making sure the team felt comfortable moving with the added weight of the belts as well as learning how to fire the guns and use their specialty weapons like bird-a-rangs and arrows. They discussed what the belts would guard and not guard against as well as knowing that the weapons would affect weaker ghosts more than stronger ghosts.

Danny had thought they would've practiced using the weapons on him and had nearly stepped out when Canary had told them what they would be doing. She had simply asked him what he was doing, while Danny had paused and then stood beside her in silence.

Canary gave the young ghost a quick appraising look filled with slight worry. It was worrying that he seemed to think it normal to allow them the chance to fire at him. It made her wonder if he still thought they viewed him as something… different than them. While they of course allowed their proteges to spar with each other and practice fighting one another for various reasons, there was still obvious risks and things to consider when going through a practice drill with one of the teens facing their weaknesses. The ghost weapons and similar things like kryptonite, fire, temperature fluctuations, etc. would be tested in time, but not so soon without knowing how to practice them in controlled and safe ways.

After the introduction into using ghost weaponry Canary gathered the team together for their next task.

"The last thing we will be doing for your training today will be simple." The corner of her mouth twitched upwards as she continued. "I have hidden an item in the forest surrounding us. I want you to find it."

The teens all turned and looked at each other before Wally rose a brow and opened his mouth. "That's it?"

Canary's mouth curled further into a more obvious smirk. "Yes Wally, that's all." She directed her speaking to everyone afterwards. "I want you all to work together to find this item. If you haven't within a couple hours then we're leaving without it. After that, we may comeback one day and try to find it." With that, she turned and walked over and entered the Bioship.

"Wait she's going to make us leave it behind!?" Wally exclaimed in surprise.

"That is what she said, doofus," Artemis replied and rolled her eyes.

Robin narrowed his eyes in thought, realizing how the failure to find the item would weigh on them after they left. Kaldur turned to face his teammates. "We need to start brainstorming. We could save time and energy by narrowing down our options."

Robin hummed slightly and looked up as he spoke aloud. "It's probably not metal because it would possibly stand out and it's probably not alive in any way else M'gann, Danny, or Superboy would be able to pick it up one way or another."

"I doubt it would be brightly colored," Artemis offered.

Danny folded his arms. "Is it likely that she would use reverse physiology on us? Maybe it is one of these things?"

"Then we'd find it too quickly," Wally expressed.

Robin tapped his arm with a finger in thought. "Danny does have something there though, actually both of you do."

"We do?" Wally asked and glanced at Danny who shrugged.

"It's not going to be easy, because there would be no point, but, it's also not going to be so hard that Canary just expects us to comb through the leaf litter."

Kaldur nodded at the assessment. "Then there is a reason behind this more than what was stated and if we can figure it out then this task will be made easier."

"But what point is there?" Superboy asked, somewhat in curiosity rather than his typical impatience.

Danny frowned slightly before a shiver took over his body. The others looked at him as a breath of cold air slithered out of his throat and into the air. "A ghost? Here?"

Everyone immediately went on guard and glanced around the forest. When nothing happened, Kaldur glanced quickly at Danny. "Do you have any idea where it is?"

Danny frowned slightly and gazed around in a focused manner. He suddenly paused and narrowed his eyes. "Wait, that signature…"

"BEWARE!"

Wally let out a screech, Artemis swung wildly to point her bow at the intruder, Robin jumped slightly before staring dumbly, Superboy blinked in confusion, M'gann gasped in surprise, Kaldur flinched hard, and Danny facepalmed.

"What are you doing here, Boxy?"

The Box Ghost stared straight at Danny and lifted his arms. "I go wherever I please, Halfa!"

"Where's the box?"

The Box Ghost froze and seemed to look nervous as everyone else calmed down and simply stared. "I do not have ANY idea what YOU are talking ABOUT." The portly ghost wiggled his fingers and let out a weak, _Ooooooooo_.

Danny stared at him with a blank face. "Right… Guys, you're more than welcome to test your new weapons on Boxy here. He's great for target practice."

"You dare!?" The Box Ghost hollered before a bolt of green smashed him in the chest and he flew intangibly through a couple trees. "Ouch."

Superboy glanced at his now smoking weapon and then frowned, "They really don't seem to pack a punch."

Danny shrugged. "The bazooka is better at big hits and multiple hits from the smaller weapons can tire a ghost out. Really, he's harmless, but I am confused as to why he's here."

"I wonder if it has something to do with Canary's test?" M'gann offered.

Robin smiled. "Maybe." He looked over as the Box Ghost righted himself and acted as though he would fly off. "Why are you here again?"

"I do NOT have to tell YOU anything, HUMAN!" Box Ghost warned. He flinched when Danny zoomed over and was suddenly in his space.

"Pardon?"

"Uh… Hello, Phantom."

"Boxy?" Danny asked pointedly and glazed hard at the weaker ghost.

"It was just a tiny thing."

"What tiny thing?"

Box Ghost straightened himself up. "Well a box of course!"

"Show me, please. It's probably for us," Danny expressed.

"You don't treat your boxes very well," Boxy mumbled and glanced away in irritation.

"We didn't mean to bother it. Depending on what it is and what's in it, you can most likely have the box after we're done, deal?" Danny bargained.

Box Ghost perked up and eyed Danny suspiciously. "Really?"

"Yeah, sure."

Box Ghost nodded and turned. "This way." He then bolted and Danny shot after him, hoping the others would keep up.

They others shared a quick glance before rushing after the two ghosts. Eventually they found the two near a tree looking down at a small cardboard box.

"Really?" Wally questioned, staring unimpressed at the lumpy looking thing.

"I told you it was in disrepair!" Box Ghost snapped, his aura flaring slightly. Phantom coughed some to get the ghost's attention.

"Yeah, I see." Danny naturally reached down to check it out before he paused. Artemis went to ask what he was doing when Robin motioned her to stop. "Boxy, can I look inside? That okay?"

Box Ghost's aura seemed to lessen a bit before he spoke, "Fine, but if you damage it further, BEWARE my wrath!" Danny nodded before he opened up the box and took out what seemed to be a daisy.

"Just a flower?" Superboy asked. Danny shrugged before nodding to Box Ghost and passing him the box back.

"You can keep it, just don't cause any trouble and go back to the Zone, okay?" Danny instructed.

Box Ghost clutched the parcel to his chest and grumbled. "The Box Ghost does not obey anyone's whim!"

"Box Ghost." Danny stated simply and Boxy's eyes grew wider.

"Okay fine! This time I escape the cylindrical container!" The Box Ghost then vanished from sight and flew away, bringing an odd cackle behind him in his wake.

"So, wait, was that Canary's test or not?" M'gann asked. Superboy turned to the right and Danny hummed slightly and followed suit as Canary herself dropped down from the trees near them. Robin smirked and Artemis and Kaldur remained still while Wally yelped again at another sudden appearance.

"Good question, tell me your thoughts," Canary responded, coming out of her crouch and glancing at the teens with her hands on her hips.

Artemis folded her arms, not amused, while Superboy wanted to do the same, but tried to remain curious rather than closed to their teacher as he had before. Danny looked down and twirled the daisy in his hand in thought. Robin was the first to speak.

"That flower is native to this region. You could've easily picked it up while we were here, but that doesn't answer why," Robin explained.

"Wait, so you just picked up a flower, put it in a box, and told us to find it!?" Wally asked in a mix of confusion and surprise. Canary didn't answer but looked at Kaldur and nodded.

Kaldur seemed to understand she wanted his opinion. "I believe it was our task, but other than that, I don't think I understand the purpose of the task."

Canary glanced around and looked back at Danny when no one else offered anything. His brows were furrowed and he finally looked up from the flower in his hand. "I… really don't know."

The teens held their breath as Canary scrutinized them all before finally speaking. "That's fine that you don't understand, but you need to." Canary smiled and glanced at Danny. "Danny tell the others how you tended to deal with the ghosts that attacked your town. What was the general relationship between you and your enemies?"

Danny blinked in confusion. "Uh, I'd make them stop, beat them up and suck them into a thermos? Hopefully with little collateral damage?" Danny answered and then grimaced at the end of his answer.

"Did you always beat them up?"

Danny stared at her for a moment. "Well… sometimes I could talk it out, I could make truces with them, ghosts are kinda different like that… Wait."

Danny paused right as Robin perked up. "You wanted to test our ability to be diplomatic and not search for trouble." Robin scowled a tiny bit as Canary nodded.

"I know many of you have heard this before, but this is not a game. People's well-beings are in your hands, civilian and villains alike. While we can't always prevent casualties in every single situation, we try to show as much restraint as possible." Canary nodded to Danny. "Ghosts are different from humans in that their mindset can be nigh impossible to change or alter. Their obsessions often are their greatest strength and weakness, right?"

Danny nodded. "From what I can tell. Ghosts can be supremely intelligent, but lack emotional and social attributes they had in life. That's how my sister explained it to me once, or her theory on it. They can be reasoned with and getting them back to the ghost zone, rather than hoping to change them like a prison or mental hospital would be designed to, is the best option."

"Exactly. The point is, ghosts, humans, and all kinds of beings think and act differently. As representatives of justice and good, we have to remember why we do what we do and not get caught up in being a hero to everyone. It's easy to forget the difference between what is 'right' and what is humane. Don't become narrow-sighted and remember how you asked the Box Ghost for the box rather than just taking it because you were told to."

The teens listened carefully, revealing different expressions on their face about what they were being told. Kaldur, M'gann, and Danny seemed to be listening very seriously, Superboy looked like he was trying to understand even if he was not sure, Artemis looked a bit unimpressed, Robin had a very neutral look on his face that gave nothing away, and Wally seemed disappointed that the lesson wasn't cooler.

Canary's face switched from serious to smirking again. "Now, we're done here for now. Let's get you back to the Cave. Tomorrow, I have another surprise, but you'll have to wait until then to find out what it is."

"Aww…" Wally whined.

"Oh! I can try to cook everyone the new recipe I've been working on!" M'gann expressed, causing Danny to smile. The Martian then glanced over at Artemis. "We'll get to hang out with our new teammate for the night, too!"

Artemis grimaced slightly and looked away with a half-hearted nod.

 **The Cave. August 11, 2010. 8:53 EDT.**

The next day found the teens in costume and ready for whatever surprise Canary had in store for them. Wally and Robin had continuously tried to get an answer from Canary but she'd stayed silent, with a smirk of satisfaction on her face.

When the computer started to list off some familiar names, the surprise started to unravel. The Flash, Batman, Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, and Aquaman filed into the main entrance where the teens were waiting.

Canary turned to better face the teens, "When I was discussing my next lesson for all of you, it was brought up that some specialized training needs to be done every once in a while."

Superboy immediately frowned and felt frustration start to well up inside again, while Danny looked a bit uncomfortable and rubbed one of his arms.

"Recognizing, Superman…"

At that, all the teens except Artemis looked up in confusion or surprise. Superboy seemed surprised but guarded. Batman glanced at Danny and motioned to him.

"You're going to have a talk with Superman today."

Superboy's face soured even more than it had before and he felt rage trying to bubble up. Superman wouldn't work with him, but he'd work with someone else? He didn't want to be mad at Danny either, but he was just so angry.

Danny looked confused and also could see that Superboy looked angry. Danny sighed and nodded before he floated off behind Batman, leaving everyone and Robin behind.

zzz

The trio found themselves in a separate room far at the other end of the Cave and mostly away from prying enhanced-hearing.

Danny couldn't help but feel some tension in the room even though he really did look up to both Batman and Superman.

"Phantom, Superman is trying to come to terms with Superboy's existence. I suggested he talk to you about how you felt about being cloned." Batman stopped talking and stared neutrally as Danny's mouth popped open.

"Wait I'm here to give _Superman_ , advice?"

Superman himself sighed tiredly and sat himself down across from Danny's position. Danny blinked at him before glancing back at Batman, who only nodded.

"I'll come check on you both later." The Dark Knight was gone before Danny could utter a response. The young halfa gulped nervously before he floated over and sat across from Superman. He reached back and rubbed his neck nervously as Superman observed him quietly for a moment.

"I, um, think your neat-" Danny groaned and slapped himself in the face. "Smooth, Fenton,"

Superman felt a smile creep across his face. "I appreciate it. I try my best."

Danny eased a bit and smiled back. "You always made it seem effortless, ya know?"

Superman blinked as he thought about himself in a personal sense. Often Canary would ask each of her comrades who was their real self, the mask or the disguise. Using that wording always made them think harder about their answer and after some time, Clark had come to realize that he felt he was both Clark and Superman, not one or the other. Sometimes he just had to emphasize some of his traits when he was one or the other in public. It wasn't like when he became Superman he didn't feel nervousness or get awkward and really, that had been proven the most with his relationship with Superboy it seemed. Superman smiled after he thought all these things in a moment's time.

"Well we both know it's not at easy as it looks." He was rewarded for his response with a surprised and pleased smile from Phantom. He seemed happy to be included and taken seriously.

Danny nodded before he swallowed again. "So, um, what did you want to know about Danielle?"

Superman paused once more to consider that Danny had brought up her name rather than label it as a cloning incident. "Just… start from the beginning."

Danny stared for a second before taking a breath and nodding. "Okay… Well you guys all know Vlad's a fruitloop that wants me to be his creepy apprentice slash son, right?"

zzz

When Batman returned, Superboy was still trying to reel in his frustration and hurt while most everyone else except Robin, Artemis, Green Arrow, and Canary had already gone off into pairs top train together as teacher and protege.

"They will return in time," Batman nodded to Canary who turned and motioned at Superboy.

"Come on, let's refresh some things we've learned before they come back." Superboy finally let out a huff of air and followed after their secondary den mother.

Green Arrow smiled and looked at Artemis, "Care for some practice?"

Artemis gave him a weird look but covered it up with a shrug, remembering that they needed to look like they were teacher and apprentice or else her cover would be blown. "Sure."

"Before that, I just want to ask if Artemis has any questions about how things are going," Batman glanced at her and Robin rose a brow at his mentor but listened carefully.

Artemis stared back at him for a moment before sighing. "I guess I was a little confused about the ghost kid or whatever."

"You mean, Danny?" Robin asked.

"Yeah whatever, him. Who is he? I had an idea of who everyone else was or was in some way related to, but he's a dark horse to me," Artemis expressed and then gave an expectant look to Batman.

Batman was quiet for a moment before he responded. "He's just as you say, a ghost kid. What are you unclear about?" Robin again gave his mentor an odd but discreet look for the odd questioning but didn't say anything.

"Is he really a ghost?" Artemis asked and gave Batman an unimpressed and skeptical look.

"He is."

Artemis continued to scrutinize Batman for a moment in silence before she rolled her eyes and nodded. "Okay he's a ghost, I guess."

After Green Arrow and Artemis walked away, Robin couldn't help but ask Batman what that questioning was all about.

"Okay, what was that?"

Batman only glanced down at Robin calmly. "What do you think?"

Robin scowled slightly. He really did get tired of having that thrown back at him, even if he knew to expect it almost every time. Batman of course always wanted him to exercise his mind and not just be convinced of what he was told.

"You wanted to get a reading on what she thought of Danny?"

Batman nodded. "She wasn't there when the Team was faced with what Danny is capable of. While many of the League and the Team are capable of doing things outside of normal human limits, Danny's powers go against physics. Danny is reserved to some degree and so it takes time for someone to recognize what he could do if he wasn't as compassionate as he is."

Robin rose a brow at Batman's description of his teammate. "Compassionate? Didn't know that was a word in your vocabulary."

Batman gave Robin a slight glare.

"Just kidding!"

"I say that because from what Canary and I have figured out is that Danny is both afraid of his abilities and very conscious of how dangerous they can and could be. He simply doesn't like taking advantage of others most of the time. He feels guilt very easily."

Robin frowned slightly at that but didn't ask for more as Batman then turned to lead them to their designated spot to train.

zzz

"And then, she flew off dramatically-" Danny trailed off and glanced back at Superman, who had been listening closely throughout the whole story. "And uh, that's pretty much it."

Superman nodded and then glanced at the ground for a moment before glancing back up. "So, you were bothered at first but, what changed for you? What made you look at her-Danielle and say, she's my family?"

Danny blinked and then licked his lips. He glanced down in thought as he began to speak. "I think… I think it was when she was aiming at me with a glowing fist, trying to take me back to Vlad and that pod, funnily enough." Danny didn't see it but Superman rose a brow. "I warned her that she was just going to melt like the others… Even if they were somewhat mindless, it wasn't easy watching myself melt and I just didn't like the idea of Vlad taking advantage of all of them. She ignored me at first and was powering up the shot, then she seemed to notice her feet were melting into the ground. She cried out in surprise and fear and well…" Danny glanced back up and Superman was struck by the hurt in the boy's eyes. "I was terrified the first time I started to sink through the floor. I wasn't melting, but it scared me out of my mind. I could only think of all the horrible things that could happen to me. If Sam and Tucker hadn't been there, it would've been worse. I've even wondered from time to time if Vlad ever went through that alone." Danny shook his head trying to banish the vision of an old defeated Vlad from a lost future from his mind. "The point is, I couldn't and didn't want to let her go through that alone. I wanted to give her a choice. I guess that was what enticed her the most. Vlad never gave her a choice of anything."

Superman blinked and nodded and was about to sink into thought before Danny's voice came back.

"Were you afraid when your eyes started glowing red hot or um, did you always know how to do that? I don't-" Danny started to ramble nervously while Superman felt a ground seemingly disappear beneath him. Everything seemed to be closing in on him at once. "I'm sorry. I need a few moments to think alone. Stay here and wait for B-Batman." Superman chastised himself for nearly saying Bruce's name aloud.

Danny seemed worried and a bit nervous, but only nodded quietly as Superman left the room. Danny sighed and laid his head on the table and hid his face in his arms. Talking with Superman about something so personal had been exhausting.

zzz

Up above the cave, Superman felt he finally had some time to think about everything Danny had talked about.

He could in fact remember when his eyes started glowing red for the first time and his Ma and Pa had had to sit him down and tell him that he wasn't from Earth. Before then, he'd never felt alone. Loneliness had never been something Clark was familiar with. After learning he wasn't from Earth, he'd felt loneliness creep in and haunt the back of his mind. He did a good job of pushing it away, but it would always come back. While he had wanted to honor his mother and father from Krypton, he often became melancholy when he saw their statue at the Fortress of Solitude. He would always love his Ma and Pa, but that feeling of being the last of his kind had been and still was hard to deal with every now and then.

Danny had felt that same kind of loneliness and when he met Danielle, he'd wanted to give her the option of having a connection to another of her kind. Even though the boy had been cloned, kidnapped, and tortured, he looked past his fear and focused on the wellbeing of his clone.

And what had the great Superman done? He'd run away from his fear. The truth hit Superman like a brick as his Pa tended to say, even if he himself didn't know how much a brick could hurt, he understood the phrase for human standards.

Perhaps he wasn't being as good of a hero as he needed to be. After all, wasn't being brave and courageous about fighting to do what was right even when you were afraid? A young boy, not even an adult had done that; he should be able to.

"I guess I'm not really using my powers to my high standard like you said I try to, Ma." Superman let out a deep breath that caused the clouds in front of him to roll away. "I'll try. I'll really try."

zzz

Superboy wasn't really sure what to think when Superman, Batman, and Danny came over to him and Canary. Superman looked less frustrated around him than he usually did, but still uneasy. Danny looked like a he was not sure what was going to happen and Canary and Batman seemed quiet. Batman nodded to Canary who patted Superboy on the back and then turned to follow Batman out of the area. The Dark Knight gave Superman a long look before he disappeared after Canary.

"Superboy…" He was pretty sure the was the kindest that Superman had ever said his name before. He gave a quick glance to Danny to see that his teammate seemed surprised but pleased. Superboy looked back at Superman and locked eyes with the Man of Steel.

"Yes?" he replied, trying to sound unphased for now. Inside he was wondering if he had just screwed up his chances by sounding too unphased. Should he have said Sir, instead?

"I want to say that I'm sorry." Superman seemed very sincere as Superboy gazed at him in stunned silence. Danny merely glanced back and forth between the two rapidly. Superman took a breath. "The truth is. I was scared. I let my worries control me and forgot to be a hero to you. I hero is supposed to be blind to differences and show mercy whenever and however they can."

At this point, Danny had glued his eyes on Superman and was listening in a mixture of awe and respect. Superboy was still feeling a bit surreal as Superman continued.

"I'd like to see if I can try again. Is… that okay with you? I understand if it's not."

Superboy simply stared for a long moment before he nodded his head. "Yes. I'd like that." Superman gave a half-smile and nodded to Danny before clapping a hand on both boy's shoulders.

"Well then. Everyone else has gotten a head start on their special training. How about we catch up?" Danny blinked in surprise before pointing to himself.

"Wait, me too?" The ghost boy blurted.

Superman seemed saddened but nodded. "I'm not too sure how I can help, but I will try to do what I can. We could see about letting one of the Green Lanterns tutor you as well in the future. I'm sorry we can't help more at this point, Danny."

Danny just shook his head and smiled. "Hey, at least someone is wanting to teach me something that isn't a crazed fruitloop."

Superman patted them both again on the shoulders before turning and leading them towards the outdoors. It grew quiet for a moment until Superman broke the silence again. "Superboy, I wanted to ask you some things. First, have you been considering a civilian name for when you're enrolled in school?"

Superboy paused in walking and Danny did as well when his friend did. "The genomes… they taught me many things. Do I need to go to school?"

Superman had a slightly sad look on his face though he was turned away from them. "There's more to school than just memorizing information, besides, it's a part of growing up."

Superboy glanced at Danny who shrugged. "Don't look at me, I was kinda at the bottom of the food chain at my old school."

Superman turned to face the two boys now that they were in the nearby woods and in direct sunlight. "I remember you mentioning something about being bullied." Superman gave a scowl at the thought and Danny merely shrugged a second time.

"I was his favorite."

Superboy became somewhat angry. "Why didn't you fight back?"

Danny frowned. "I was and still am kinda a wimp to be honest. I couldn't. Then I got my powers and I could, but it was wrong and would've been weird if I suddenly grew a backbone."

"Just because you didn't fight back doesn't mean you didn't have courage, Danny. Sometimes it's braver to not fight." Superman expressed. Danny smiled and nodded. Superboy calmed down some and then glanced at Danny.

"If we're going to the same school then you won't have to worry about it anymore." Danny blinked and glanced over at his friend before he smiled.

"Thanks. I appreciate that, Superboy."

Superboy nodded and glanced back at Superman. "I'll think about a name."

Superman smiled. "Good." He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath before nodding. "Okay, the second question I had was how often do you go outside of the Cave when you're not on missions?"

Superboy blinked. "I don't."

Superman seemed surprised but then put a hand to his chin in thought. "I ask because the sun is where kryptonians gain their powers from."

Superboy furrowed his brows and grunted as though recalling that fact.

"I'm not sure how you were cloned or how much of my DNA was used. I've heard that you've had trouble with heat vision and flying specifically at least for now. I know there's others, but those are the two biggest categories."

Danny tapped a foot before he spoke, "Are you thinking Superboy's been stunted a bit because he doesn't soak up the sun as much as he should?"

Superman nodded. "I believe that's a good place to start. What I'd like to do for today isn't going to be very exciting but I hope it will help." Superman floated closer to Superboy. "I need you to sit and feel the sun. I need you to focus on where it is and how you feel it on your skin and in your body, okay?"

Superboy starred at the ground in thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay, I'll try."

Superman seemed slightly startled by Superboy's word choice but hid his surprise from the two boys quickly. "Excellent." As he turned to look at Danny and ask what the other boy thought Superman could try and help him with, he could've sworn he saw Superboy give a small smile for the praise.

* * *

 **I won't be answering questions from reviews on this chapter as I've lost track of that and combing through the reviews would be tedious. If you had a burning question from before or have a new one now, go ahead and ask and I'll get to those questions through PM or in the next chapter.**

 **God Bless ~NoSignal**


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